Leaving Longbourn
by shuisfull
Summary: Rewrite of a previous story.  Characters are not mine, all Jane Austen's genius.  Please Review!
1. Chapter 1

The Bennet household had become almost silent in the past year. Lydia, one of the biggest contributors to the noise, had been the first to go. She had married Mr. Wickham in a hasty manner to quiet the awful and true rumors that were circulating. And then Jane and Elizabeth left together, respectively. They both had gone to Pemberly, the estate of Lizzy's husband, Mr. Darcy. And perhaps the worst of all, Mama had fallen ill and died rather suddenly. All that remained at Longbourn were Mr. Bennet, Mary, and Kitty and there were no other sisters more dissimilar than that pair.

Mary, at two and twenty, spent her days at the piano forte or reading in her room and twenty year-old Kitty… well Kitty was no longer the silly, vibrant girl she had once been. Gone were the days of trimming bonnets with Lydia, walking to Meryton with Jane and Lizzy, and attending assemblies with all her dear sisters. She was not allowed to attend assemblies anymore, her father, who stayed in his library more than usual, refused to allow her to go unless Mary went as well, which she never did. Her appearance had changed as well. She had become sickly pale and had developed dark circles under her eyes. She was alone in her world.

Kitty and Mary were in the sitting room after breakfast reading and trying their best to ignore the other when Hill came in with the post. There was a letter addressed to the both of them from Lizzy, inviting her and Mary to visit Pemberly.

"Of course, we can not go, Kitty. Father will not allow us to leave Longbourn," Mary stated piously. Kitty's eyes began to tear up as Father entered the room.

"On the contrary, Mary. Lizzie has written to me and I have been invited as well. I see no reason not to go." He walked to the window. "Lizzie has invited us indefinitely. She and Mr. Darcy are concerned that the two of you may never marry if we remain here. And while I am sure that you, Mary, would have no objection to that, Kitty, I fear that you might go mad if we were to remain here much longer."

"When are we to leave, sir?" Kitty asked.

"Tomorrow morning, I think. I quite agree that Longbourn no longer feels like home any more since you poor Mama passed." He turned and faced his two daughters, tears welling up in his grey eyes. "I never thought that she would be first." He collected himself and dismissed Mary and Kitty to pack up all their belongings because Mr. Bennet secretly doubted that any of them would ever return again.

He had felt his wife's death deeply. She had irritated and annoyed him for years and her habit of spending more than she ought and lack of sense always bothered him, he still loved her as much as he did on the day Jane was born. His daughters did not know it, but every night that both he and his wife were at home, after the girls and the servants were asleep, he would move from his room to hers and sleep there, with her. He literally could count the nights he had not slept in her bed while at Longbourn on one hand, the nights after his daughters had been born. Mr. Bennet regretted that he had not been with Mrs. Bennet when she died. No one had. She had died in her sleep and Kitty was the one who found her.

Poor Kitty. She could not speak for a week afterwards. He was so worried for her, for she never went ten minutes without speaking normally, he sent for a doctor from town who told him that she was simply in shock from finding her mother dead. Of all his children, Kitty reminded him the most of his wife when they first met. She was the only one to have Fanny's dark red hair and pale blue eyes eyes. Lizzy, Mary, and Lydia took after him and had both dark eyes and hair and Jane looked like his mother, icy blonde and grey eyes. But Kitty was almost his wife reincarnated. And it killed him to see the pain in those eyes that were so familiar to him.

Mr. Bennet retired to his library and began to write a letter that no one else would read.

_My Dearest Fanny,_

_I shall not ask again why you left us or if you will return. I only ask that your thoughts lie with Kitty, not my self or the other girls (unless you know something I do not). She is not our Kitty anymore. I almost miss her mindless chatter with Lydia or giggling about officers or arguing with Mary._

_She cries so much, my dear, that Hill told me that she ran out of handkerchiefs yesterday and they had all been washed the day before. I have often found her in your room, sitting in your chair, watching to road. What am I to do, Fanny? My daughter is no longer the girl whom I love but a stranger._

_Lizzy has invited us to Pemberly and we leave tomorrow. I do not know if I will ever return home to Longbourn. I do not know if I can. In truth, without you, I have no home._

_Your Loving Husband,_

_John Bennet_

Mr. Bennet folded the paper and added it to a stack of paper that he then tied a piece of string around and carried with him up to his bedchamber.


	2. Chapter 2

Mrs. Darcy and Mrs. Bingley were incredibly excited to see their sisters and father again. The Bingleys had been living with the Darcys as their estate was being built. When the news that their mother had died had arrived, they were unable to go due to a horrible blizzard that trapped everyone in the house. They were worried about the three remaining Bennets and had become increasingly worried about them as Kitty's letters became more and more frequent. She wrote both Lizzy and Jane every day, several pages each. The sisters waited at the door for the carriage to arrive.

When it did, they were both shocked with how their relations had altered in under a year. Father had lost both weight and hair, Mary looked even more drab then usual but neither of them recognized Kitty. She wore a black cloak and dress, showing that she was still in mourning for their mother, a plain straw bonnet with a simple black ribbon and all the life had been drained from her. Every feature on her face, which had once been bright and sharp, had faded. She appeared to have not been out of doors in months. Her dark red hair was the only feature that made them recognize that it was Kitty in front of them. She was actually fading away.

"Hello! Welcome!" Lizzy greeted them warmly, hugging and kissing them each. Jane did the same.

"Lizzy! Oh, how I've missed you and Jane!" Father said as they enter the house. Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley met them inside and showed the father-in-law to the library.

"Lizzy? Is Miss Darcy here?" Kitty asked as she and Mary removed their cloaks and bonnets.

"No, but she will be here tomorrow with Colonel Fitzwilliam. She is coming from Town," she said, leading them into her sitting room that she shared with Jane.

Kitty smiled to herself. She had really been asking about the Colonel. She knew that if Mr. Darcy was not with Georgiana, the Colonel probably was.

The Colonel was a permanent fixture in Kitty's mind. Ever since they danced every dance together at her sisters' wedding reception, she had thought almost everyday about him. They had written to each other for a devent amount of time but when her mother got sick, she stopped and didn't have the courage to continue. She feared that he might hate her for it.

Kitty sat there, lost in her thoughts of the Colonel until Jane spoke to her. "Kitty, didn't you hear Lizzy?"

"Oh, no, I'm sorry."

"The Colonel has been promoted and he has named his father's heir."

"What? How? He has four older brothers."

Lizzy continued, "His father was dying and sent for his sons and the Colonel was the only one to return home to pay his last respects. He never had a good relationship with his father because he felt that he was often forgotten in favor of his brothers but his father sent for his attorney and revised his will to make him his sole heir and not responsible for his brothers' debts."

"Debts?" Mary inquired.

"Yes, unfortunately, the Colonel was the only one to know enough not to gamble and to save money instead. His brothers are left penniless and the Colonel is not required to support them unless he wants to."

"Will he?" Kitty asked.

"Only one, his brother Frederick. He has a young daughter, Isabelle is her name, I believe, of a sickly constitution whose mother died in childbirth. But he has stipulated that every penny must go towards his niece and will check him every few months."

"Well, that is very good and Christian of him," Mary said as she took a sip of her tea.

"Yes, indeed, it is," Kitty reiterated dazedly.

The next day, Kitty, Mary, Lizzy and Jane were sitting in the same parlor, discussing a ball that would be thrown next month in celebration of the Colonel's promotion. Mr. Darcy had intended to keep it as a surprise but he could not keep a secret and told the Colonel of it. The four Bennet sisters and Georgiana would journey into Lambton the next day to purchase new gowns for the occasions. Kitty felt happier than she had in a long time as she enjoyed the company of two of the three sisters she deeply missed. They talked about Jane's home that was being built, Georgiana's training in piano forte in town and several other things that they did not feel proper to write about to one another. It was when they reached the topic of children in the Longbourn neighborhood that Kitty and Mary learned something that greatly peaked their interest.

Lizzy set down her tea and looked sideways at her sisters before speaking. "Mary, Kitty, I saw the doctor two days ago and I was told that I am going to have a baby in seven months time."

Kitty jumped out of her seat for joy, joy for her sister and joy for finally being an aunt. "Does Mr. Darcy know?" she asked.

"Yes, he does," Lizzy answered, beaming.

"Does…" Kitty paused, wondering how to phrase her question, "does….does Father know?"

"No, I was going to tell him tonight." Lizzy looked back at her tea, tears surfacing. She knew that her father had had difficulty giving her up to marriage, even to such a man as Mr. Darcy. But her having a baby would just solidify everything even more for him.

"Have you thought of any names?" Mary asked, more excited than any of her sisters would have ever expected from her.

"Well, actually yes… we've decided on names for a girl and a boy…"

"And they are?" Jane pressed.

"Ann Francis after both of our mothers and John Edward after our fathers." Lizzy smiled to herself, remembering an "argument" that she and Darcy about the order of the names that ended with Mrs. Reynolds making the deciding vote.

With that, there was a knock on the door and Mrs. Reynolds opened the door and introduced Georgiana and Colonel Fitzwilliam. Kitty took a deep breath and smiled bravely at the Colonel.


	3. Chapter 3

Georgiana and the Colonel bowed and smiled at the sisters before them. Georgiana noticed a happiness in Lizzy and Jane's eyes that had long been absent and a sadness in the other two. The Colonel looked only at his Kate and she, only at him.

He wondered if she hated him for not calling on her or even writing after he had learned of her mother's death. But it was the death of her mother that inspired him to go see his father and ask for forgiveness before he was gone. Even in her absence, Kate had had a profound impact on him.

Kate could not help but notice that he was even more handsome than she had remembered. His hazel eyes were lively and she realized that he was studying her and she knew that he was seeing how she had changed.

It was during one of her letters that she admitted that she hated being called Kitty and wanted to be called something other than that. From them on, when he wrote to her, he addressed her as Kate.

"Hello, Colonel." Kate held her hand out to him, as if months of letters had never occurred between the two of them. He took her hand and kissed it, feeling the same spark he had felt almost a year before and he wondered if she felt it as well.

She had. She shivered slightly when his lips touched her hand, not noticeably to anyone but him. He was struck by how she had altered. Her eyes had changed the most. They were no longer a pale blue but a dull grey and she was so pale, her skin was almost translucent. Where had his dear, dear Kate gone?

They stood there, watching each other for a moment before taking their seats and catching up with one another, informing the new residents on Lizzy's condition. Misters Darcy, Bingley and Bennet came in and congratulated the Colonel, now Major General, on both his promotion and inheritance. Lizzy stood and asked to speak to Mr. Bennet in the library and instantly, everyone tensed. They all knew that Mr. Bennet would either take the news horribly or very well. They grew silent, waiting for the father and daughter to return. They soon did, arm in arm, beaming at one another.

"I only wish that Mrs. Bennet had been able to have been with you at this time, dear Lizzy. She would have driven you to madness sooner than usual." Everyone laughed heartily at the joy that would soon be a part of their family.

The next day, Jane, Lizzy, Mary, Kitty and Georgiana took the carriage into Lambton and selected dresses for the ball. Mary tried to choose dull, neutral colors that would have made her blend into the wall but they forced her into a purple gown that made her eyes look green instead of hazel. Kitty, as well, could not bring herself to try on any dress brighter than dark blue. Jane, concerned for her, pulled her aside to speak with her.

"Kitty, what is wrong, you are not your bubbly self," she asked.

"Jane, I know that it seems superficial but might you ask Lizzy and Mary and the others to call me Kate? I think that Kitty died with Mama." She began to cry quietly, not wanting to detract from the experience for the others. "I am no longer the silly, ignorant girl I once was, I have not been in a long time. I think the change began when Lydia left and finished when I found Mama that morning."

"You feel Mama's death more deeply than I thought you would. I will speak with them for you if you," she said looking through the racks of dresses around them, "try on this pink dress."

Kate sighed and took the dress and moved towards the dressing room. The dress was not just pink; it was fuchsia, with gold trim and nothing like the dresses that she had been wearing recently. She came out of the dressing room to look at herself and get every one else's opinion and after declaring that she looked like Caroline Bingley, they immediately sent her back with a simple red velvet gown. Kate like this gown from the moment she put it on. It felt lush and decadent compared to her everyday muslin gowns. Her sisters approved and it was wrapped to take with her along with the purple one for Mary.

Kate and the Colonel (for a few days, the gentlemen jokingly tried to address him as Major General but the ladies all decided that it was too long to say so he would remain Colonel to them), got through the next few days narrowly avoiding each other. They both knew that they could not express their feeling or thoughts to one another alone or in the company of others. It was not until one morning, when a maid delivered a note to her, that Kate even knew that he still thought of her. The Colonel requested that she meet him by the pond at noon. Kate smirked. At the pond, no chaperone was needed, anyone looking out a front window would be able to see them, but not hear them. It was perfect.

It was that morning that Kate chose to discard her black dresses for her old dresses with prints and stripes. She came down to breakfast and everyone noticed the change.

"Kitty, is it not a bit soon as forgo the mourning clothes?" Mary asked coldly.

"Mary, it is Kate, and it has been several months, I feel that it has been enough time. At least it was noticeable that I was in mourning," Kate replied, glaring at Mary. The rest of the meal continued in silence, Jane and Lizzy silently sharing looks at each other. The ladies afterwards retired to the sitting room but Kate expressed a wish to read by the pond and left them to their own devices. She was early but she did not want to be late either. She was surprised that find the Colonel already waiting for her.

She twirled her parasol in an attempt to appear nonchalant as she made her way to him. They smiled shyly at one another, neither knowing how to start.

"Hello, Kate." He offered his arm to her and they began to stroll around the pond.

"Hello, Colonel," she said, looking away from him.

"I am sorry that I did not write to you after I heard of your mother's passing. It was very wrong of me."

"It is fine. I was the one that should have written to you but it had been so long, I was not sure that you would have wanted me to."

"Oh, Kate…" they stopped and he turned towards her. He took her hands in his and breathed deeply, preparing himself. "May we begin from where we left off? I can not bear to not have your friendship. I have missed your letters; my days have been quite long with out them. You can not know how arduous my life has been with out your letters to make me laugh."

"Colonel, I wish that we may be friends again. But this time, we may actually see one another and not get to know each other through letters." Kate stopped and sat on a bench by the lake and the Colonel sat with her, both content with their situation.

The pair spent the next month as the best of friends. They were seldom without the other unless it was required. They read together, went riding together, had picnics and danced together when Mary or Georgiana played. The Colonel taught Kate how to play billiards and, to repay him, she, jokingly, showed him how to trim a bonnet with ribbons and lace one night after dinner.

They were in the sitting room with the rest of party and Kate was expertly stitching a satin ribbon on a new bonnet as the Colonel was haphazardly attempting to sew a piece of lace to an old bonnet of Lizzy's that had been donated to the effort. In fact, the ladies sat around the table because Colonel Fitzwilliam pricking his finger and cursing to himself repeatedly was much better entertainment that their own sewing or reading.

"There! It's finally on!" He proudly held it out for Kate to inspect. She gingerly took it and studied it carefully. His stitches were uneven and obvious to the naked eye but the lace was placed well and she was sure that the addition of a ribbon over where the lace was attached would hide it well. She was silent for so long that the Colonel spoke again, this time nervously, "Well?"

She smiled at him and that was all he needed to be satisfied. He smiled back at her and Lizzy and Jane look at the pair incredulously. They moved to the other side of the room to discuss what they had seen.

"Lizzy, you do not think that Kate is in love with him?" While Jane hoped that both of her single sisters would marry one day, she was not sure if Kate and the Colonel would be a good match for one another. There was such an age difference between them; Kate was eighteen and the Colonel was about thirty. For a moment, she doubted his intentions, but she soon recognized that the Colonel, while he was a flirtatious man, had never paid a lady as much attention as he did to her sister.

"I do not know, Jane. They spend so much time together that I think that they may be on their way to falling in love." They decided that they would keep an eye on their sister and the Colonel before reaching a mutual agreement on the situation.

The next day was the ball and the ladies spent most of the day preparing for it. Around noon, a tray of food was brought in for Kate along with a note. She let her maid, Fiona, depart for her own lunch fore she wanted to read the note in private. It was from the Colonel.

_Dearest Kate,_

_Please do me the honor of dancing as frequently with me tonight as you did the night we met and to sit with me at dinner. I shall be quite desolate with out your company._

_Benjamin Fitzwilliam_

"Benjamin?" Kate said aloud. It was then that she realized that she did not know the Colonel's Christian name before then. In fact, she had never really thought of it. To her and everyone he was the Colonel. But now, she thought that she was one of the few who knew it and she felt special and closer to him than ever before.

As the evening drew closer, Kate dressed in her new red gown and helped Fiona add little red and white flowers to her hair. Lizzy came in, wearing a soft green dress that hid her growing stomach.

"You look very pretty, Kate," Lizzy told her, smiling. Her hands were behind her back, as if she were hiding something.

"So do you. What are you hiding, Lizzy?" Kate asked.

Lizzy smiled even more and revealed to her a square, flat box. "This was Darcy's mother's. I knew that you would be wearing your new dress tonight and asked if you might wear it." She opened the box and Kate gasped at the necklace inside.

It was a diamond choker with rubies shaped like teardrops dangling from the base. "Lizzy, I can not wear this! I would be afraid of losing it or breaking it." Lizzy laughed at her sister and insisted on her wearing it. They went down together to begin greeting guests that had begun to arrive.

Kate felt out of place, standing between Lizzy and Jane, curtsying and shaking hands with people she did not know who greeted her as an old friend. It was the most grueling fifteen minutes of her life that only ended when she felt a hand on her elbow and turned to see the Colonel there, in his new uniform.

"You look very pretty tonight, Kate." He offered her his arm and she gratefully took it and enjoyed being led away from the strangers.

"Thank you, Benjamin," she replied archly. "I do not know why, but I never wondered what your Christian name was. I seemed to have thought that it was "Colonel."" She laughed quietly to herself.

He laughed as well. "In truth, I never particularly cared for the name. I always felt that it was too long for me and I abhor the nickname of Ben. But hearing you call me it is quite pleasing. I only ask that you continue to call me "Colonel" when we are in the company of others."

Kate nodded. "I would be glad to dance every dance with you tonight, Colonel, unless you have changed your mind."

"Oh no, Kate, I have not changed my mind. In fact, I intend to never leave your side this evening."

And so their evening was spent, dancing hour after hour until dinner was served. Kate took her seat by Lizzy and the Colonel and across from her father. She was whispering to Lizzy about how happy she was about the events that had taken place so far and she thought that it might be possible that the Colonel liked her that she did not notice the Colonel and her father rise and walk onto the terrace until Lizzy informed her of it.

"How odd! What could they have to talk of?" She began to stand up in order to follow them but Lizzy yanked her back into her seat.

"Leave them be, Kate." Kate began to question her sister but was shushed quickly. "Leave them be."

Kate could now not eat her dinner. Figuring out what her father and Colonel Fitzwilliam were discussing was much more important. She was engrossed with watching the two men on the terrace talking. Every now and then she imagined that they focused on her but she could not imagine why. As she was in this daze, Jane and Elizabeth met and studied their younger sister.

"How does she not know?" Jane asked Lizzy. "It is so obvious that yesterday, Mary referenced it and Mary was shocked when Charles asked me to marry him."

"Mary was more shocked that someone would want Mama for a mother-in-law than shocked than he wanted you for a wife." Lizzy laughed with Jane before continuing. "But it is Kate's nature to not see what is important when she is involved."

They stayed together until their father and the Colonel returned. The latter went directly to Kate, took her hand and the couple went back to the terrace as Mr. Bennet smiled in their direction. Darcy and Bingley went to their wives to ask what was going on.

"Well, we believe that the Colonel is about to ask for Kate's hand," said Lizzy. She and Jane exchanged looks and they both caught Mary's eye and touched their noses, the signal, who nodded in response. The three sisters made their way to the door near the terrace and tried to overhear what was going on. Darcy and Bingley followed them out of curiosity.

"What are you doing?" Bingley asked. He had never seen any of the three sisters behave in such a manner.

"How do you think any useful information was learned in our house?" Jane said. "Lizzy, Mary and I learned how to eavesdrop on our parents and sisters quite early."

They rearranged themselves because Lizzy, who had the best hearing, would be the most conspicuous because of her condition. Jane was mostly deaf in one ear after an accident she had when she was very young. Thus, Mary was elected to listen, Lizzy to relay the words and Jane to interpret. Darcy and Bingley stood and little ways away and pretended to talk when in reality, they were telling their wives and sister-in-law what the two were doing.

Over the noise of the party, Mary could faintly hear the Colonel say, "Kate, I love you. I fell in love with you through dancing with you and writing to you and just seeing you again. And now that my situation has changed… I can afford to marry whom ever I wish and I wish that you would be my wife." In his speech, Darcy told them that his cousin had gotten on one knee. "I love your eyes and hair and breath. I love how your hair is almost undone by dinner and how you never finish a book before starting a new one. I love you… I love you a great deal… I love…

"Colonel, I do not know how to respond because all that I feel for you, you have said." Kate sounded quite breathless, Mary reported and Bingley said that the Colonel had risen from his knee.

"Does this mean that…?"

"Yes, Benjamin, I will marry you!" Darcy said that he had picked up Kate and was hugging her whilst spinning until her was out of his view

"Benjamin?" Jane said, perhaps a little too loudly for her husband said the pair peered at the doorway and saw him and Darcy watching them.

"My Lord, I know that you three are not doing what I think you are." Mr. Bennet stood in front of his oldest three daughters, shaking his head. "Are you not all a little old to be eavesdropping on Kitty?" He had often caught them years ago standing as they now were but in a different order. He continued to lovingly chastise them as the Colonel and Kate came back into the room.

The family immediately engulfed the two in hugs of congratulations. Mr. Bennet, Darcy, Bingley and the Colonel all went to the head of the room and got a glass of wine. Mr. Darcy took a fork and hit the side of his glass of it to gain the attention of the room.

"We have all met tonight to celebrate to promotion and good fortune of my cousin Major General Benjamin Fitzwilliam," Darcy began. The Colonel colored as his Christian name was said. "But it appears that even more good fortune has found him."

Mr. Bennet cleared his throat. "I have given my consent for Major General Fitzwilliam to marry my fourth daughter, Miss Catherine Bennet, and she has accepted his proposal."

The party applauded and Kate was pushed toward the gentlemen by her sisters. The Colonel took her hand, kissed her cheek and the party applauded even more.

Dinner had finished and the Colonel and Kate went back to dancing, really enjoying the company of one another and feeling joyous each moment they were touching.


	4. Chapter 4

For about a month, the newly engaged couple were perhaps the happiest people in the world. Everyday, they sat beside one another at meals, read together in the library after breakfast and sat together in the evenings. It was their afternoons that were the most enjoyable to them. The Colonel had decided to show Kate as much of the gardens and the park as he could. They spent hours walking together, talking all the while. One afternoon, while they were walking, Kate began to relate to him finding her mother that awful morning.

"It was horrible, Benjamin. I came into her room with her breakfast and there she was, face down on the floor, blood pooled around her. I suppose I dropped the tray because the next thing I knew, I was holding her in my arms. She had developed consumption and I remember hearing her cough violently in the night and how relieved I was when she finally stopped." Kate could not continue to walk and she began to sob from grief. The Colonel held her close and whispered reassuring things into her ear in an attempt to calm her and help her compose herself. He could not help but notice how comfortable he was holding Kate.

Kate removed herself from his person once her tears had stopped. She made some comment about how sorry she was about crying into his coat but the Colonel heard none of it. All he could see was how beautiful Kate was at that moment. He held his arms out to her and she went to hug him. They stayed like that for a long while. One of Benjamin's hands rested on her neck, playing with the hair that had come loose and the other on the small of her back. Kate had both arms around his neck, nuzzling her head against his chest. She tilted her head up and she felt him tense as he felt her breath on his neck.

"I am sor—" She was stopped as his lips met hers. The spark they felt when their hands touched was magnified exponentially by this new found intimacy between them. This was her first kiss and she was glad that unlike Lydia, she was going to only kiss her betrothed before she was married.

From that moment on, almost every moment that they were alone and were unlikely to be discovered, Kate and Benjamin spent the time kissing. They had been lucky and had only been caught once, by Georgiana who entered the library to find them in a corner. She merely giggled and asked their forgiveness. Kate spoke with her later and she swore her secrecy to her new friend and also confided the following:

"I must say, Kate, I have never seen the Colonel as happy as he has been since being in your presence."

However, their happiness was overshadowed by a necessary and unpleasant courtesy. The Colonel had written to his aunt, Lady Catherine, and enjoyed teasing Kate that he would receive a copy of the same letter she had written to Mr. Darcy when she learned of his engagement. But it was not until mid-April, a few weeks after it had been sent and still no response, Georgiana received an express from her cousin Anne warning them that Lady Catherine was on her way to Pemberly and from the sound of it, she was not pleased.

Lizzy spent the next day making sure that the staff had the house as clean and orderly as possible and that the room that Lady Catherine normally stayed in was impeccable. She had begun to show and seemed to get larger everyday and was tired quite frequently. Lady Catherine visiting just seemed to make her grow faster. She had developed a taste for rich desserts, items that she rarely ate previously. The cook seemed to take joy in creating new treats for her and she could often be found in the kitchen to enjoy the treats when they were fresh.

The day of Lady Catherine's arrival came and all nine of Pemberly's residents assembled themselves outside to wait for her. They saw her carriage coming out of the woods and they all felt her sharp eyes on them. It was hotter than usual for that time of year and Lizzy was visibly perspiring.

"I dare say, Mr. Darcy, I think I may enjoy Lady Catherine's visit. I have heard much of her affability and condescension from Mr. Collins," Mr. Bennet said jokingly. Lizzy turned and gave her father a reproving look but chuckled. This was going to be interesting.

The carriage came to a stop in front of them and as Lady Catherine got out and surveyed the people there to greet her, she said "I dare say, Fitzwilliam, have you invited all of your wife's family to visit you? I do not think that Pemberly has room for me by the look of it." She coldly eyed Elizabeth and her growing stomach. "When is your wife's baby to arrive, Fitzwilliam?"

"Elizabeth is due in July, Aunt." He crossed his arms, wanting terribly to take Lizzy inside, away from the abnormally high temperature. Lady Catherine walked into the house as if she was its owner and began ordering around the servants who were simply going about their duties.

"Colonel, I wish to speak with you directly. Your," she glared at Kate before continuing, "fiancé shall accompany you." Lady Catherine strode toward the library, the Colonel and Kate following her closely. They entered the room and sat, the couple facing the buzzard like woman. She cleared her throat as Mrs. Reynolds entered with tea. She waited until the housekeeper was gone before beginning. "Colonel, I would like to congratulate you on your promotion and your change of fortune since the death of my dear brother. However, I can not give my consent to your marriage to Darcy's sister-in-law. Our family is already connected to the Bennets more than I would ever wish to be. And furthermore—"

"Lady Catherine, please forgive me, but I did not write to you to ask for your blessing. The only persons whose blessings matter to Kate and me are her father's and my own. Before he died, I told my father that I wished to marry her and after describing her to him, I received his hearty consent and Kate's father readily gave his. I wrote to inform you of the event. Whether you approve or not is no concern of mine. I am going to marry her and there is nothing you can do or say that will change my mind," the Colonel stood and walked behind Kate, placing his hand on her shoulder. "I love her, Aunt. Nothing you can say will change that."

"Miss Bennet, I do not know how but you and your sisters have some how managed to secure the affections of almost every man in connection to my family." Lady Catherine rose from her seat, preparing her self to leave Pemberly. "I see, Colonel, that like your cousin, you have lost your sense of duty to the family. I shall no longer trespass on your time. As of right now, I am no longer the aunt of you or Darcy. I wish you healthy and happiness with your wife, although I find it highly unlikely."

And with that, Lady Catherine left the room and Pemberly, never to return. She even cut off ties to Georgiana and Ann had to sneak letters to her cousins for years.

Darcy and the Colonel, while saddened that their relationship with their aunt had ended in such an ugly manner, were glad that they were no longer graced with surprise visits or received repetitive invitations to Rosings Park around the holidays. With Lady Catherine gone for good, Kate and Colonel Fitzwilliam began to plan their wedding.

They had decided that the wedding would not be until June, two months time. The pastor of the church that was patronized by the residents of Pemberly had just retired and their wedding would be the first of the new minister. Mr. Darcy told the party that Mr. Geoffrey Foster, as he was called, as a quiet, sensible, intelligent but slightly awkward sort of man. He was from a wealthy family that had made their fortune in trade a few generations before and as he was the oldest son, he was expected to continue the family's business but had instead chosen to give up his inheritance in favor of joining the church. He had spent the past few years traveling around the continent, studying not just his own faith, but the faiths of others. He was a young man, about twenty-seven, Mr. Darcy guessed. Mr. Foster was unmarried and had been arranged to marry a young woman from Kent in a few years.

Mr. Foster came to Pemberly in early May, to meet with the Colonel and Kate to discuss their wishes for the ceremony. Mr. Foster arrived early, apologizing profusely and honestly to them for it. As he spoke the couple, he heard women speaking nearby. He looked up and saw two young women, one blonde and the other brunette. The brunette looked at him and stopped the stairs. She smiled shyly and continued her walk downward

Mary had changed a great deal since arriving at Pemberly. The influence of Lizzy, Jane and Georgiana had led her to be more sociable and friendly. She no longer wore her thick spectacles all the time, saving them for reading and playing on the piano forte, and her dresses went from somber grays, blacks and browns to deep blues, greens and purples. She allowed the maids to do her hair in the mornings. Mary had also taken to reading in the garden and she no longer had sickly pale skin. She looked and felt better than she ever had. In fact, no one could call her plain anymore.

"Mr. Foster, may I introduce Miss Georgiana Darcy and my sister, Miss Mary Bennet. Mary, Georgiana, this is Mr. Geoffrey Foster. He will be marrying us next month."

Kate and the Colonel led the way to the sitting room where they would conduct their meeting. Georgiana left the party and went to the music room to practice but Mary followed the party. While her sister and future brother-in-law began their discussion with the clergyman, Mary picked up her old copy of Fordyce's Sermons and went to the window seat and pretended to read. In actuality, she was watching Mr. Foster. He was very tall, taller than Darcy or Bingley and he had curly blonde hair that was on the long end of what was fashionable. He had sparkling blue eyes and a smattering of freckles across his nose.

Mary did not understand what Darcy had meant awkward, but as she thought this, Mr. Foster's tea dribbled out the side of his cup and down the front of his coat. As he reached for the cloth that came with the tray, he knocked over the sugar. Kate rang the bell for the servant to come and clean up the mess and asked her to borrow a coat for Mr. Foster. Mr. Foster sheepishly looked at his feet. He removed a pair of spectacles, a thin notebook and pencil from his pocket and began to make notations on his conversation with Miss Bennet and Major General Fitzwilliam. He felt eyes watching him and saw Miss Bennet's sister watching him over her book. He turned his head in an attempt to read the title of the volume in her hands.

"Fordyce's sermons? Why, Miss Bennet, would you read such dull, passionless work?" Mr. Foster asked Mary.

"Passionless, sir? I am a student of religion, not love. Why should religion have passion?" Mary closed her treasured book and moved towards Mr. Foster. "Passion is a temptation, something I would think that you, as a clergyman, would try to avoid."

"I do not mean passion in the realm of love, but passion for work and God. Fordyce had no passion in his work or in God. Should not a clergyman have passion for his profession and his God?" He took off his spectacles and placed them on the table near him.

"What evidence have you that Fordyce had no passion for God?" Mary was getting angry. "A man may have passion for something without shouting it for all to hear."

"True, madam, but a man that loves something does. And while it is not necessary that he have passion for his work, it is that he have love for it."

Mary opened her mouth to counter but she could not. Of course a man of God should love God and have passion for his work. That was an undeniable fact. But she had never considered that. She read Fordyce because she agreed with his sensibilities and values, not because she had learned from him. It was then that she realized that Fordyce was the only theologian that she had studied in depth. How could she think herself a scholar of religion when she was only familiar with one man's work?

Mary was silent for several moments until Kate woke her from her trance by asking, "Mary? Are you well?"

"Yes. Um…forgive me, please." Mary was uncomfortable with what she had planned to ask Mr. Foster. "Sir, whom would you recommend to me in favor of Fordyce?

Mr. Foster smiled. "I cannot recollect who would be suitable for a young lady such as yourself." He paused. "Perhaps if you were to come with your sister and Major General Fitzwilliam to the parsonage tomorrow, you may peruse my library and borrow any book of your liking while we further discuss the ceremony."

Mary colored, taken aback by such a brazen invitation. She had never been so expressly invited to a gentleman's home, with or without other's accompanying her.

"Thank you, sir. I shall."


	5. Chapter 5

Mary skipped breakfast the next morning in order to prepare for her visit to the parsonage. She was so nervous! Her maid did her hair three times before she was happy with it. She chose her favorite new dress, a pale but rich blue muslin gown with a thin darker blue stripe and matching slippers. She gathered her dark blue velvet Spencer, straw bonnet, purse and spectacles and left her room to meet Kate and the Colonel at the carriage. While she no longer wore her spectacles on a regular basis, she intended to spend the afternoon reading thus they were necessary.

In the half hour it took the three to reach the parsonage, Mary had already decided that she would only borrow four books from Mr. Foster. She felt that four books would be sufficient material to research her own religion. She did not think that other clergymen would be able to change her feelings regarding her faith.

Kate and the Colonel were perfectly aware that Mary was in her own world throughout their journey. They took the opportunity of being relatively alone to discuss some their plans for after they were married. Benjamin had been assigned to a post in Sussex and while he did not expect her to join him, he greatly wished that she would.

"I would understand completely if you chose to stay here at Pemberly or if you chose to take up residence at Matlock. But please be assured of my wish for you to join me in Sussex." He really thought that she would not wish to join him, many of the wives of officers never joined their husbands at their post.

"Benjamin, I am not going to marry you only to have you taken away from me. Of course I am going to go to Sussex with you!" She sighed and then smirked. "I may finally go sea bathing." He laughed at her and pulled her closer to him. They soon arrived at the parsonage.

The parsonage was as quaint stone and plaster building with an attractive garden in the front. There were rose vines growing up the corners of the house that were in bloom and full of yellow, pink and red blossoms. Mr. Foster was waiting for them at the low wooden gate to his home. He was dressed in the same style of suit that Mr. Collins wore but it was perfectly tailored and he also wore his spectacles.

"Good morning, Major General Fitzwilliam, Miss Bennet, Miss Kate." He and the Colonel helped the ladies out of the carriage and they went into the house. Mr. Foster led them to his book room. While the others sat and continued their conversation from the other day, Mary went straight to the bookshelves. It was not until the housekeeper came in to inform them that lunch was being served that Mary was able to pull herself away from them. They went to the dining room and they meal was brought in by a few maids.

Mr. Foster was especially polite to his servants, Mary noted. He knew all of their names, asked one maid on the health of her sister who had just a baby that he would soon be christening, and thanked them genuinely before they left the room.

They ate their lunch quickly and Mr. Foster, Kate and the Colonel continued their conversation. Mary finished her meal first and excused her self and returned to the library.

Mary, while she had previously decided that she would only borrow four books had chosen seventeen instead and each was very different from the next. There were books on the life of Jesus, on the Virgin Mary, on the Catholic Church, the Reformation and Martin Luther, on the formation of the Church of England and Mary had also chosen a fewer about Judaism and the Eastern Religions. She spread the books out on a table and began to choose her four when Mr. Foster and the others returned.

"I see that you have had a successful morning, Miss Bennet," Mr. Foster said with a chuckle.

"Forgive me, I have never had such ready access to theological books." She looked down, hiding her eyes from him out of embarrassment.

"Have you begun to read any yet?"

"Yes, I started this one." She picked up a thick brown volume with intricate designs and foreign symbols on the cover in gold foil. "The Koran, I think it is called."

"Ah, yes, the Koran. It is the book of the Muslim faith. It is very similar to our Old Testament but at the same time quite different. Anything else?" Mary picked up a slim blue book and regarded it for a moment before asking the pastor about it. "Oh, this is one of my favorites."

"Really? That is surprising," Mary said.

"Why? I agree with the author's theories and the fact that it was written by a woman is of no consquence to me."

"Indeed?"

"Yes." Mr. Foster opened the book and flipped through a few pages. "After I finished it for the first time, I could not sleep that night because she seemed to be able to ask the questions that I needed answers to and make me reassess what I thought I had the answers to."

"Thank you for allowing me to look around your library, Mr. Foster."

"You are most welcome, Miss Bennet. Shall I send for Tim to move your selections to the carriage?"

"Oh! No, I am not going to be borrowing all of these."

"Why not? It is of no consequence to me." Mary continued to refuse his offer until he insisted that she could simply return them one at a time as she finished them. She reluctantly agreed and secretly hoped that he did so to insure seeing her frequently.


	6. Chapter 6

The wedding of Kate and the Colonel was fast approaching and before the residents of Pemberly knew it, it was only a week away. Jane and Elizabeth had helped their sister with her choices for her dress, the ceremony and reception, Georgiana helped choose the music and Mary found Bible passages that would be read by Mr. Foster.

The men felt rather useless except for when bills arrive. Kate had unintentionally spent more than originally planned, but Mr. Bennet did not complain. While he had never saved money intended for dowries, he had saved some for the weddings of his daughters. With Jane and Lizzy, their husbands had insisted on paying for everything and Lydia received no such finery for her wedding. As a result, he could easily afford to give Kate the wedding she had always dreamed of and still have money left for when or if Mary ever found herself a husband. The Colonel had tried to pay for part of the wedding but on this Mr. Bennet refused.

"I have seen three daughters married at very little expense to myself. Please, allow me to do my fatherly duty on this occasion."

Family members also began to arrive. In one day, the Gardiners and their four children were the first to arrive, then Mr. and Mrs. Phillips. Even Ann De Bourgh came, much to the surprise of her relations. Lady Catherine was lately in London and Ann had faked a cold in order to stay behind and stole away the morning after her mother left.

One of the arrivals that they were almost dreading was that of Mr. and Mrs. Wickham. Since their departure to Newcastle, no one had seen Lydia and letters from her were few and far between. When the letter was sent to her to inform her of Mrs. Bennet's untimely death, no response was received for a month and a half, her excuse being that she and Wickham had been in London for the past two months when they knew that it was only she who had gone to London and that Wickham was alone in Bath, probably running up more debts and dallying with women of ill repute.

Lydia had given birth to a baby girl just eight months after her marriage had taken place. She claimed that her daughter had simply been born early but her family had no reason to believe her. She had named her daughter Josephine, after Mr. Wickham's mother. When she had written her congratulations to Kate, she had confided that she was expecting again. Kate related this knowledge to her sisters out of fear that Lydia would try to steal the attentions from her. They assured her that they would attempt to divert attention from Lydia if she did try to do that.

On the day that the Wickhams arrived, Mr. Darcy was extremely agitated, as was Georgiana. She had not seen Mr. Wickham since he persuaded her to elope with him and Darcy had sent him away and now he was arriving with a wife and daughter. Georgiana knew that she had never been in love with him but it still grieved her to him in again.

The Wickhams were late, not arriving until almost eight in the evening and they burst in loudly and obtrusively. Lydia was obviously with child but not as far along as Lizzy was. Mr. Wickham was charming as ever and proudly held his daughter. Josephine was a beautiful child, a little more than a year and a half old, but part of her behavior greatly disturbed everyone. She was always smiling and laughing when being held by Wickham and everyone else but when she was placed in her mother's arms, she became silent and nervous.

As the Wickhams had arrived after dinner had been served, Josephine was put to bed directly and her parents spent the rest of the evening conversing with the relations that they had not seen in almost two years.

The change that had taken place in Wickham was beyond everyone's belief. He had given up gambling and had gone to Bath to pay off debts he had left. He had also recently been promoted. His philandering had stopped when he and Lydia had learned that they had a baby on the way. He was now a devoted and attentive husband and father and was looking forward to having another child to dote on. Every word he spoke in regard to his daughter was said with admiration. He loved being a father to his daughter and congratulated Darcy and Lizzy on the child they were expecting. The entire party soon realized that Wickham was Josephine's primary caregiver. Lydia had nothing good to say about her daughter. She complained about Josephine's incessant crying, how she could leave nothing out since she had begun walking and how glad she was to have a few weeks for herself when Wickham took her with him to Bath.

Both Lizzy and Lydia went to bed rather early; they were both exhausted from the very intense stage of pregnancy they were in. The other ladies soon followed them and then the gentlemen until the only ones left were Darcy and Wickham.

"I wish to apologize to you, Mr. Darcy, for my actions regarding you in the past. Since Josephine was born, I have tried very hard to give up my idle life and vices and to apologize to those I have wronged. There can not be another person living whom I have wronged more than you and your family."

"I accept your apology on my behalf but I can not for Georgiana. You must ask for her forgiveness yourself." Darcy poured himself and Mr. Wickham a glass of brandy and the two men, brother-in-laws, sat in front of the hearth that they had often sat in front of in their youth. Wickham told him of how Lydia had changed since the birth of their daughter. She was constantly complaining of nervous fits and she had no affection for their daughter. He believed that while she did love Josephine, she did not know how to mother a baby.

"I only hope that she will grow more loving and affectionate to Josephine as time goes on," Wickham admitted.

A few days later, the night before the wedding, Lizzy, Jane and their Aunt Gardiner went to Kate's room just after she had excused her self to go to bed. They had the task of preparing her for the wedding night and wanted to get to her before Lydia did.

Jane knocked on the door and the three entered. Kate sat on her bed, in her nightclothes and robe, absentmindedly braiding her hair. She knew that someone would be coming to her that evening and was relieved to see her two oldest sisters and Aunt Gardiner, and not Lydia.

"Kate, we have come to you to inform you of your wifely "duties,"" Lizzy said smiling as she sat on the bed next to her sister.

"Now, do you know what will happen tomorrow night?" their aunt asked. Kate nodded nervously.

"Lydia wrote to me after she first arrived in Newcastle and told me more than I ever wished to know." She was so agitated that she accidentally knotted her hair in several places.

Jane sat behind her and began undoing the knots and re-braiding Kate's hair for her. "I do not know what Lydia told you but I will tell you this: there is nothing to fear. It may hurt a little at first and a few times after, but soon it will become enjoyable to you."  
Lizzy and Aunt Gardiner nodded thoughtfully. Her aunt added cautiously, "While this is a duty, it is not one that is to be performed if you are unsure. Kate, promise me that if you have a doubt in your mind, you will come find one of us before you and the Colonel retire for the evening." All three of the sisters were shocked by this statement. Noticing their incredulous looks, she continued, "I know of too many ladies who on their wedding night were not sure and were violently forced to when they voiced their doubt to their husbands."

Kate nodded and swallowed, trying to get the courage to ask them a question she had often wondered. "How does it work?" Kate admitted that she knew nothing of the mechanics of her wifely duty or what was required of her. The four women sat for almost two hours, talking and laughing together, until a knock on the door came. Mr. Bennet opened the door and asked all but Kate to leave fore he wished to speak with her.

"Well, my dear, tomorrow you leave me and I know that your mama is rejoicing in heaven for you. I know that tomorrow is a happy day, but please, keep your mother in your thoughts when you can." He reached into his pocket and handed a golden Celtic cross to Kate. She recognized it immediately; it was the cross her mother was given by her father on the day she married. Kate had always admired it and at the age of eight, got her mother to promise that it would be hers the day she married. Kate smiled, taking the necklace in her hand. She began to cry, and reached for her father's hand. He kissed her on her forehead and quitted the room so Kate could go to sleep.

Kate, not tired, went to the window and opened it, looking out into the landscape. After a few moments, she noticed a gentleman standing directly in front of her window several yards away, facing the same direction she was. She smiled, recognizing even in the dark his posture. It was Benjamin.

"Benjamin!" she whispered loudly and he turned around. His face was lit by the light of the house and he smiled broadly and after looking at her a moment, he answered her call.

"Hello, Kate!" he whispered back. "Should not you be asleep? You went up hours ago."

"My sisters, aunt and father have kept me from my bed and now, you are to be added to the list." She giggled and he chuckled back.

"I love you, Kate."

"I love you, too, Benjamin."

"We should both go to bed."

"Yes. We should."

"Good night, Kate, my dear."

"Good night, Benjamin. Until tomorrow, then?"

"Yes." And with that, the Colonel came inside and Kate shut her window and climbed into bed and slept as soundly as she ever had.


	7. Chapter 7

Kate woke at six o'clock in the morning. She could not leave her room to go to the kitchen for an early breakfast because she did not want to risk seeing the Colonel, because it was bad luck to see the groom before the wedding, and she was unwilling to call for Fiona because it was still early and she had no idea at what hour the servants of Pemberly awoke. She did know, however, that Mrs. Reynolds was most likely awake and would be passing by that corridor soon. Kate opened her door a crack and upon seeing Mrs. Reynolds, opened it fully.

"Mrs. Reynolds, would you be so kind as to see if my breakfast could be brought soon?"

"Of course, Miss Bennet. But get back in your room at once! You do not want Colonel Fitzwilliam to see you and I just passed him and he asked me to give you this note." She handed Kate a letter and went off in the direction of the kitchen.

Kate sat on her bed and read her letter from her intended.

_My Dear Kate,_

_I hope that you slept well fore I have not. I could not sleep because I could only think of how beautiful you appeared last night in the moonlight._

_Forgive me, I must tell you how I feel for you. I love you, Kate Bennet, more than I thought I ever could love a person. I hope that in ten, twenty, fifty years I love you as much or more than I do now. I look forward to the adventures we shall have together, children we shall raise, nights we will spend together. My only hope is that you love me as I love you, not that I doubt your affections. I simply love you so greatly that I do not know if one can love more than this._

_Yours Faithfully,_

_Your Future Husband,_

_Benjamin Fitzwilliam_

As she put the letter away to answer later, Mrs. Reynolds and Fiona came in with her breakfast and tea. Both of the women smiled at her and told her if she needed anything, just to ring for them and one of them would be there. Kate thanked them and ate her breakfast and drank her tea and responded to the Colonel's note.

_My Dear Benjamin,_

_Be assured that my love for you is at least equal to yours for me. I flatter myself to think that I may just love you more than you love me because I still see myself as I was at the age of eleven._

_I can not wait for this afternoon, for our wedding and reception and all the years that are to come after today._

_Yours, lovingly,_

_Catherine Bennet_

Kate rang for Fiona and gave her the letter to give to the Colonel.

About an hour later, all of her sisters and aunts and even Georgiana and Ann came in the room, except for Lydia. Lydia, she was told, was still asleep and had rather rudely yelled at Mary when she tried to wake her. They were all already dressed in their finery for the day's festivities. Fiona soon returned and while she helped Kate with her bath and washing her hair, her sisters and aunts readied her wedding clothes and veil. Her dress had arrived the day before and Lizzy tied a scarf around her eyes while the dressmaker made sure that it fit properly. Jane tied little blue ribbons to the backs of Kate's slippers, Mary and Lizzy laid out her veil on the bed so it would not wrinkle, Aunts Philips and Gardiner placed the gown next to the veil and Georgiana watched the ladies, wishing she had more relatives like them. Ann sat with Kate while she was in her bath to try to keep her mind occupied.

Kate desperately wanted to see her dress, but to keep her from seeing it after her bath they made her wear Mary's spectacles while Fiona did her hair. Around noon, Fiona declared that her hair was done and taking her hands, the ladies helped her into her dress, facing away from the looking glass. As she stepped into her slippers, they removed the spectacles and placed her veil in her hair. Kate put on her gloves and Aunt Philips put Mrs. Bennet's gold cross on her. Finally, they allowed her to turn around and see herself.

Kate did not recognize the woman standing in the glass but she knew it was her. Her gown was white satin and had intricate beading and embroidery on the bust, hem, train, and sleeves. The sleeves were short and slim and her gloves rose up to her elbows. Her slippers matched her dress. Her hair was done up beautifully and Fiona had added little pearls and ribbons into the various knots and braids. But her favorite part was her veil. It had been Mrs. Bennet's and Mrs. Philips brought it with her as a surprise for Kate. It was short and old-fashioned, but beautifully beaded,

"I look quite pretty," Kate giggled and the others all assured her that she was beautiful. Mrs. Reynolds came in with her bouquet of white and pink roses and told them that it was time. Kate came from the room first and met her father in the hall. He told her that she looked lovely and told her that her mother would have loved to see her in her wedding dress. The ladies and Mr. Bennet went down to meet the carriages. The gentleman and Lydia had already left for the church and the carriages had returned to collect the rest of the party. With Mr. Bennet, Kate, Lizzy, and Georgiana in one and Aunt Gardiner, Aunt Philips, Jane, Ann and Mary in the other, they set out together.

Mary sat next to her Aunt Philips, looking forward to seeing Mr. Foster again and also, somewhat ashamed to be the only unmarried sister left. She knew that it was ridiculous to hope for anything from her acquaintanceship with Mr. Foster, he was already promised to another young lady but she felt such a connection with him that she had never felt before. She scolded herself; she always got like this when someone she knew got married, nonsensical, romantic. That was not who she was and as they pulled up in front of the church, she pushed those thoughts from her mind and thought only of the joy of her younger sister. She and the other ladies went into the church, leaving Mr. Bennet and Kate in the vestibule to wait for the organ music that would cue their entrance.

Mr. Bennet looked at Kate, patted her hand and whispered to her as the bridal march began, "Just breathe, Kate. Breathe and keep eye contact with the Colonel."

The doors opened and they walked together down the aisle. Part of her wanted to survey all those that were assembled but she took her father's advice and locked eyes with Benjamin, standing at the altar. He looked so handsome in his regimentals that Kate felt herself blush from her love for him. She passed through the ceremony in a daze but awake, unable to look at anyone but him. "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride," Mr. Foster said. Benjamin threw back the front of Kate's veil and kissed her. As the crowd applauded, he kissed her again and they turned to face their guests. Mr. Foster continued, "I am pleased to be the first to present to you, Major General and Mrs. Benjamin Fitzwilliam," and the applause grew louder.

They walked hand in hand up the aisle, both smiling at each other, wanting painfully to be alone now. But, decorum and duty was a necessity on a day like today. The entire assemblage was to return to Pemberly for the reception and there, they all danced, ate, drank and made merriment until dark. The Bennet family had the pleasure of seeing the Lucas' and other Hertfordshire friends again and Charlotte Collins even was in attendance. Her husband felt it wise to remain in Kent out of fear that Lady Catherine might return and need him to consol her.

Mary ambled around the ballroom, searching for Mr. Foster. She had assumed that he would be in attendance since he had performed the ceremony. After an hour, she gave up and sat by herself in a corner. She watched the couples dancing and saw Jane and Bingley, and Kate and the Colonel together and off the side, Lizzy and Darcy, and Lydia and Wickham, sitting. It was not until then that Mary admitted to herself how lonely she was. All her sisters, even her younger ones were married and starting families. While she had never actively pursued a man, she did not want to die an old maid, dependent on the generosity of her sisters. She wanted a home of her own and a husband and children. Yes, Mary definitely wanted children. But at the age of twenty, in no way an old maid, her family seemed convinced that such a title was to be her fate. She began to silently cry and wiped her tears away with her gloved hand.

Charlotte came up to Mary, noticing her distress and sat with her.

"Mary, are you all right?"

"Charlotte, may I ask you something?" Mary needed to ask someone this and Charlotte was the most likely person to know.

"Of course, Mary. I just hope that I can help."

"You can." Mary took a deep breath before beginning. "How did you resign yourself to spinsterhood and then find a husband?"

"Mary, I never resigned myself to spinsterhood. I accepted that I am not a handsome woman as you and your sisters are. I do not have an overly friendly disposition like my sister, Maria, does. I knew when I was twenty-three that I would probably not ever marry and I decided that I did receive a proposal from a good and decent man, I would accept him. As soon as I had become used to the idea of being an old maid, I met Mr. Collins."

"Yes, but, I do not want a man like Mr. Collins. Forgive me, Charlotte. I did not mean it."

"Yes, you did, but I understand completely. I agreed with you, at first. But after nearly four years, I have grown to love him and he has grown to love me back. Our son brought us together. We were lucky, many are not so fortunate." Charlotte took a sip from her glass of punch. "Mary, my advice to you is to that you should not give up but do not expect anything. You should make the same promise to yourself that I made." Charlotte stopped and became very serious. "Do not make the same mistake as me, Mary. Do not marry without love. The first two years of my marriage were dreadful and lonely. Love him a little before your marriage takes place." And with that, Charlotte stood up and went to Maria, who was dancing with an officer. Mary got up to follow her but she saw Mr. Foster coming up to her with a pretty young lady on his arm. The woman had honey blonde hair and was dressed in the most fashionable clothing in the room. This must have been his intended.

"Miss Mary, may I introduce you to my fiancé, Lady Emilia Bracknell? Emily, this is Miss Mary Bennet."

Lady Emilia curtsied upon her introduction. "Miss Bennet, I am so pleased to meet you, Geoffrey has told me so much of you."

"Really?" Mary was shocked that he would, she had supposed that he returned her feelings.

"Oh, yes, and I must say that I am very glad that he has made such a friend. I was afraid that his living in the north, away from town and myself, would cause his eye to stray. In fact, I thought that he might be forming an attachment with you, but now that I have met you, I see that I had no reason to worry."

Mary swallowed and thanked her. She excused herself and went out on to the balcony to cry. She had just been called ugly by a young lady she had just met! And today, of all days. She had tried her hardest to look attractive. Her hair was done, she wore a new satin dress, and she was not wearing her spectacles. This morning, she thought she had never looked prettier. And that woman had the audacity to cut her down, to not think her a rival. Mary stopped her thoughts. She was not a rival. Mr. Foster was already engaged to this woman when they met. She knew how ridiculous she was being.

After almost an hour, Mr. Bennet left the ballroom for the balcony and found Mary, sitting by herself, sobbing.

"Mary, what is wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Father, why does no man think that I am pretty or love me? How come no man favors me over all other women? Why is my family so convinced that I am going to die an old maid? I am so lonely, Father. I always have been. Jane and Lizzy had one another and Lydia and Kate had one another as well. It is as if God has destined me to always be alone."

"Mary, I love you. I think that you are pretty. Yes, you are my daughter and I have to think so, but since coming here, you have altered yourself in such away that you are now more attractive than you had been. I do not believe that all men have a distaste for your company. Mr. Foster seems to enjoy talking with you."

"Mr. Foster is engaged to another woman, Father. A woman who thought me so ugly that she said she felt no reason to worry about his friendship with me."

"I am sorry, Mary. I am sorry that your mother and I never told you that you are a pretty young lady. I have always thought that you were handsome, but I guess in comparison to your sisters, your mother did not see it. I will do better, I promise." He stood up and before returning to the ballroom, he kissed Mary on her forehead and offered her his arm, which she took and they returned to the party.

It was not until nearly eleven at night that Kate and the Colonel were able to excuse themselves from the party. Mrs. Reynolds led them to a separate part of the house from that that they were to be staying in so as to insure their privacy. She explained that it was a suite, two rooms connected by a door and that it would be their rooms for the remainder of their stay unless they wished to be moved back to their old rooms later. They thanked her when they reached their room and she added that she would keep their location secret to prevent any disturbances.

Benjamin opened the door for them and insisted on carrying his bride across the threshold. Kate giggled at his gallantry. This was obviously to be her room. It was elegant and feminine and had a large dressing table on one wall. When Benjamin put her down, she went to the dressing table and took off her gloves and veil. She carefully placed them both to the side and began to take down her hair. Her husband (how odd that sounded!) watched her in the mirror. It took her a good ten minutes to removes all of its trimmings and ribbons and to undo the knots and braiding. When her hair was finally down, it fell almost to her knees in soft, thick, red waves. Benjamin looked shocked by the amount of hair on her head. It was much longer than what was considered fashionable, but she had never cut her hair and never wanted to. She had had many arguments with her mother to keep her hair and won each. She stood up and was going to ask Benjamin to excuse her for a moment to change when he grabbed her and kissed her more deeply and passionately than he ever had before.

"Your hair is so beautiful, my dear." They sat, she in his lap, in an arm chair and continued kissing for what felt like hours to them both. Kate almost thought that that was all that would happen that night when she felt Benjamin's lips on her neck, moving down to her collar bone. Her fingers entangled themselves in his sandy blonde hair and she moaned in pleasure when she felt his tongue on her neck. She blushed, ashamed at the noise that had escaped her, but it seemed that Benjamin considered it to be encouragement. He came back to her lips and kissed her again, this time more fervently than before, his soft yet strong tongue darting in and out of her mouth.

Kate rose and moved her hair around to her front and attempted to unbutton her dress so she could change but the Colonel saw that she was having some difficulty and rose and undid the buttons for her. He kissed the back of her neck with each button and when she was finally able to step of the garment, she took it and placed it on the back of a chair. Each of his kisses made her shiver.

As she was reaching for her nightdress, Benjamin spoke to her. "Kate, I must say, I am nervous." She laughed and he colored, thinking she laughed at him. "Please, this is most embarrassing for me."

"Embarrassing for you, sir?" He nodded. Kate forgot her nightdress and sat on the bed. "I am in my undergarments, in front of a man, in a bedchamber, with my hair down, and I am going to do something I have never done before and I feel correct to assume that you have. If anyone should be embarrassed, it is me."

He smiled. She looked so innocently attractive to him, sitting with her knees to her chest, on the bed, in her underclothes. It was not until then that he realized how young she was, thirteen years his junior. He knew that she was right and he wondered how she had such bravery to be alone with him and what he could do to make her more comfortable. Suddenly, it dawned on him. He took off his jacket, vest, boots and stockings and cravat and sat next to her.

"There. We are both in a state of undress." Kate smiled shyly at him and he took her hands in his. "You are right. I have done this before. But, if I could, I would go back and change all my actions so that I may give myself to you as you give yourself to me. My only defense of my past indiscretions is that I am better prepared for you." They both laughed and looked lovingly at one another before kissing again.

This time, it was Kate who started the kiss and Benjamin was surprised and pleased by it. He broke the kiss to remove her chemise and left her only in her corset and pantaloons. He continued to kiss her, taking her in his arms and laying her down on the bed. She was tugging at his shirt, pulling it out of his breeches and he removed it. Kate's fingered traced the lines of the muscles in his chest, stomach and back. Benjamin began to undo the hooks on Kate's corset from the bottom up. When he reached the hooks near her chest, he looked into her eyes, searching for even a hint of doubt. She smiled at him, a silent urge to continue and he did.

Kate sat back up and took off her open corset and lay back down. She saw the Colonel's eyes studying her. She bit her lip, hoping that he would not tease her for her bosom, which she felt was oddly large for her petite and slender frame. Her fears evaporated when she felt the Colonel's lips crash back into hers and his hands begin to explore her body the way hers had explored his. She could not believe the immense pleasure this gave her as she moaned again, this time into his mouth. She felt Benjamin's hands fumble with the drawstring of her pantaloons and she pulled away to get under the covers. He chuckled at her modesty and followed her example. She removed her remaining garment and he did the same with his.

They continued as they had been doing until the Colonel got brave and kissed down her neck again. But this time he did not stop at her collar bone. He continued down her body to her breasts, which he lavished with kisses, her navel and finally, her womanhood. Kate was shocked that he would venture there but her shock soon turned to intense delight as his tongue and fingers explored her. He came back up and kissing her again. As he whispered his love for her into her ear, he slowly pushed himself into her. She winced in pain at first and after a moment, he began to move cautiously inside her.

Kate had not imagined that it would be anything like this. She thought that despite her relations assurances, the Colonel would only care about his own pleasure and nothing about hers. But now, she saw how wrong he was. He seemed genuinely afraid of hurting her and it was not until she was brave enough to urge him to that he began to move faster. She felt pleasure build up within her until she could not stand it anymore. She called out his name and professed her love for him and he soon followed suit.

They lay together, holding one another and making love until a maid knocked on the door with the breakfast trays.


	8. Chapter 8

No resident of Pemberly heard or saw the Fitzwilliams for three days after their wedding and it might have been even longer if not for a most unfortunate event. On the third night, Kate and Benjamin were making love again when they both heard a loud thud and the distinct sound of a child crying. They both quickly dressed and left their room, following the sound. They traced the cries to an unused staircase nearby and Kate went down and he up to find the child. It was the Colonel who found it. It was Josephine. The Colonel had found her lying, crumpled on the stairs, limbs going in every direction.

"Kate! Come here!" Kate ran up the stairs until she saw her husband carefully moving her niece's broken form from the floor. "I think she wandered off and got lost."

Kate ran off, in search of Mrs. Reynolds and the Wickhams. She found a servant and instructed them to find the housekeeper and ask her to come to their wing. She rushed into the used part of the house and burst into the sitting room that they normally sat in after dinner. Her state of person made everyone think the worst of the Colonel.

"Lydia!" She tried to catch her breath but could not. "Josephine—stairs—fell—very hurt!"

Wickham rose from his seat and inquired as to where she was. As he spoke, the entire room gasped as Mrs. Reynolds and the Colonel entered the room, he still carrying the little girl.

Lydia flew into a fit of hysterics, blaming Wickham for not keeping a better eye on his daughter. He left the room with the Colonel and housekeeper and sat the entire night with his little girl. The doctor was immediately sent for and when he arrived, they were informed that she would recover but had broken both her legs, an arm and cracked a few ribs in her fall. Someone would have to stay with her at all times and she could not be moved for a few months.

Wickham was inconsolable. He wept silently and was not able to remove his eyes from the only good thing in his life at that time. He had to return to Newcastle the next day and would not be able to stay with her. Lydia, after she had calmed herself, stated that she could not stay either for some reason for another. It was decided that they would leave the next day as planned and that Josephine would stay at Pemberly until she was healthy enough to return home to her parents, at which time Kate and the Colonel would take her back. The rest of the party that were to stay longer or were permanent residents decided to devise a schedule.

Once she had calmed down and stopped crying, Josephine behaved beautifully. The doctor explained to her what was wrong and she looked at him in such a way, that everyone seemed to think that she understood because after he said not to move, she did not. She was given a small amount of brandy and the doctor set to work setting her broken bones and cleaning her wounds. She had hit her head when she fell and while the cut was not deep, she had bled so profusely that her curly blonde hair was now rust-colored and crunchy to the touch.

In the morning, Wickham, with tears in his eyes, kissed his daughter and thanked the Fitzwilliams for finding her. Lydia apologized for the inconvenience Josephine had created and climbed into the carriage with a smile, glad to away from the child for a few months. Wickham promised to write everyday and asked them to read his letters to Josephine as often as was possible.

Lizzy and Mary had drawn up the schedule for sitting with their niece and they had also made copies for everyone. Kate had the first night and Benjamin joined her as well. Josephine could not sleep from the pain, and while she was not crying, she could not be comforted. Georgiana had found some of her old story books and the Colonel read to her while Kate fed her broth that Mrs. Reynolds brought. Around one, Josephine finally fell asleep.

"This experience has thrust the thought of children on my mind, Benjamin," Kate said as she placed the soup bowl on the tray and took it outside for the maid to collect. He looked up at her, surprised that the thought had come to her only a few days after their wedding. She saw his surprise and hurriedly added, "I do not mean now. I just mean that Josephine is such a sweet, loveable child that I hope that we one day have a daughter like her. I do not understand how Lydia can dislike her so much. I fear for her when we take her home. I know that Wickham will care for her, but a doting father is no replacement for a mother and it seems that Lydia does not want to be her mother."

The Colonel looked at the little girl, peacefully sleeping. "Does Josephine have godparents?"

"I do not know. I doubt it. I remember Lydia telling me that she had never been baptized. Why?"

"Perhaps we should write to the Wickhams and ask to be named her godparents and guardians should something happen to them."

"Really?"

"Yes. Would you not want to be her godmother?"

"Oh, no, that is not what I meant. I had always thought that if Lydia did have a child, I would be named its godmother."

"I shall write to Wickham tomorrow to ask about it." They spent the rest of the night talking and when Lizzy came in to relieve them, they went straight to bed and slept until the early afternoon, waking just in time for tea.

A few weeks later, Lizzy only had about a month left in her pregnancy and Darcy was attending to her every need when he possibly could. They were at work decorating the nursery and Lizzy had a strong feeling that she was going to have a boy but her husband thought that it was a girl.

"I never would have thought that a father would hope for a daughter. Especially when having a son is so important to maintaining property and fortune," Lizzy said one evening to her father and husband. Mr. Bennet was possibly as attentive to Lizzy at this point as Darcy was.

"Yes, my dear, but you must realize that you are one of five girls and Darcy has one sister as well. It highly likely that you will have a girl," said her father.

"It is not that I do not want a girl, I just feel that it is a boy."

"Lizzy, what ever it is, I only care that it is healthy and happy. Boy or girl, it will be a Darcy and my child."

Lizzy and Darcy quite enjoyed sitting with Josephine in the mornings, just as she woke. In the few days since her accident, Josephine's sweet personality had returned and she only cried when she had to be moved so that she could be washed and changed. She was speaking when she had first arrived but with the departure of her mother, she talked more and was much smarter than they had all originally thought. It was even more clear that she spent most of her time with Wickham because she was always asking for him and not her mother. The Darcy's enjoyed the mornings because they got to be the ones to read Josephine the daily letter from her father.

"Papa! Papa!" she would say each time she saw a letter be removed from Darcy's coat pocket.

"Yes, it is from your papa," Darcy said as he unfolded the letter one morning. He always read the letter first before letting Josephine hear it. Wickham had come to confide in him about Lydia's health, which was in decline. Their doctor had ordered her to stay in bed until the baby arrived but her health problems did not stop. That day, Wickham wrote to tell him that Lydia had gone into labor early and neither she nor the baby, another daughter, had survived. Wickham asked to return to Pemberly with whoever was able to come for the funeral of his wife and child. He needed to see his daughter; he had admitted to Darcy that he feared returning to his old ways out of grief. Darcy had Lizzy read the letter and they soon called for Mrs. Reynolds to sit with Josephine while they told the others the unhappy news.

The news was not well received. Kate was beside herself, Jane cried uncontrollably, Mary went into shock and Mr. Bennet fell silent before he retired to his room. The Colonel tried to consol his wife but the stress of losing a mother, sister and niece so close to together made her cry harder than anyone had ever seen her cry before. She lost not only a sister, but her former best friend. It was decided that Mr. Bennet, Mary, Kate, the Colonel, Jane and Mr. Bingley would go to the funeral. Lizzy could not make the journey to Newcastle and Darcy would not leave her. Georgiana would not go because she did not know Lydia well and it would be awkward to attend the funeral of the wife of the man she almost eloped with. Lizzy, Jane and Kate were elected to tell Josephine of the event. Once Kate and Jane had calmed themselves, the three went to tell their niece.

Mrs. Reynolds excused her self from the room when the ladies entered. Lizzy sat in a chair and Jane and Kate knelt beside the bed.

"Josephine, your mama has had an accident," Jane began.

"Mama fall down stairs? Like me?" Josephine asked. She looked at her aunts faces and saw something odd in them.

"No. Mama did not fall down the stairs. Mama had her baby." Jane began to weep and Josephine looked at her, confused.

"Baby?"

"Yes. Josephine, your mama has died. The baby died as well," Lizzy told her. She had begun to cry as well.

Josephine did not understand what they meant. Died? Dead? These words meant nothing to her. But her Aunt Kate explained it again.

"Mama has gone away and she can not come back. The baby went with her," Kate choked on her words. It was this that made Josephine begin to cry. They all sat with her, gently cradling her broken body in their arms, singing her into a deep slumber.

The next day, those that were going to the funeral left and a week later, they all returned, this time with Wickham. He went directly to his daughter. He held her in his arms and sobbed. While he had not gotten along with Lydia, he had grown to love her and losing her was an event he had hot considered possible. He could not raise Josephine on his own. She needed a mother. But now that he was a widower, he could not bring himself to drag his daughter from military post to military post. He had received the letter from the Fitzwilliams that asked that they be named the guardians of Josephine should something happen to him or Lydia. He and his wife agreed that they would be the best choice, Kate being his wife's dearest sister and nearest in age.

He sat with Josephine while she slept. The Colonel and Kate came in, bringing him dinner for he had not eaten at all that day. Wickham took a deep breath before beginning his speech.

"I know that you are just married, but I must ask this of you. It would not be fair to Josephine for me to drag her around the country to different posts and encampments and while you are also a military man, your world is much different from my own. I can not raise her on my own. I simply can not. While I have been the one to care for Josephine the most, Lydia was a mother and that is something that I can not be for her. Please. Please take care of her until I think myself able to. I learned yesterday that I am going to be sent into Scotland and she can not go anyway. It is no place or life for a little girl. It breaks my heart to ask this of you, but I must for it is what it best for her."

"Wickham, we would be happy to care for her for you. But you must promise us this: that you will not return to your drinking, gambling and intrigues. You must remember that you have a daughter and continue to be a respectable man for her sake. But," Kate continued, "please, write to her often. She loves you so much. You will always be welcome in our home. When she is old enough, come visit us and explain to her why she has been left in our care."

Wickham nodded. He understood her warnings to him. He had escaped his addictions only because of Josephine and now with out her around him, he might slip back. Wickham stayed for the week before returning to Newcastle. He sent all of Josephine's belongings to Pemberly and within a month he was stationed in Scotland. For the years following, he wrote Josephine almost everyday and visited her several times a year at her aunt and uncle's home.


	9. Chapter 9

The rest of July was spent teaching Josephine how to move again on her own and waiting for Lizzy's baby to arrive. Considering the recent events, everyone was on edge. It was soon the end of July and Lizzy still had not given birth. August had begun and the doctor assured them that the baby would come soon, that Elizabeth just needed to rest and stay out of the heat.

Lizzy awoke one morning with an odd feeling in her stomach. She rose and found that Darcy was not beside her as he always was. Then she remembered that he was sitting with Josephine that morning. She rang for her maid, who helped her dress, and went down to Josephine's room. Darcy was sitting beside her, reading from a book of fairy tales. Josephine was now well enough to sit up and the doctor had splinted her broken arm and legs. A stable boy had built a small wagon for her and they would pull her around the house in it, to her delight. They smiled at Lizzy as she sat down, closed her eyes and listened to the story. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open as she felt a sharp pain in her back and she winced in pain.

"Lizzy? Are you all right?" Darcy asked, carefully rising from Josephine's bed. His wife was holding her abdomen delicately, breathing deeply.

"I do not know." Another pain hit her, this one enough to make her cry out. Darcy opened the door to the room and seeing Mrs. Reynolds, he asked her to send someone to sit with Josephine and some else to fetch the midwife and doctor. He helped Elizabeth stand up and escorted her to their bedchamber. Her maid was already there and would help her change. Darcy then went to the sitting room and found Mary, Jane, Georgiana and Kate together talking. "I need your help. I think that the baby is coming."

Darcy had never seen any group of ladies move so quickly. Kate and Jane were the first to run out the room, pushing him out of the way, Mary knocked him to the floor and Georgiana jumped over him. He heard his cousin, friend and father-in-law laughing and picked him self up off the floor.

"What could you have possibly said to scare off the ladies, Darcy?" The Colonel teased Darcy.

"That the baby is coming."

"Oh, well that quite explains it." Mr. Bennet seemed rather unalarmed that his favorite daughter was going to have her baby. "Come; let us sit in the library."

"The library? Sir, how can you sit in the library? I am going to be right there with Lizzy." Darcy started to walk after the ladies but three pairs of hands grabbed him and pulled him in the opposite direction.

"Darcy, after five daughters, let me assure you, if you are needed or there is any news, you will be fetched. And you will not be needed or fetched for a while." Mr. Bennet told him, leading the way.

"You were not present for any of your daughter's births, sir?" Darcy asked.

"No, I was present for Jane's. For an hour. Then Mrs. Bennet threw me out. Everything I did was irritating her, even how I breathed. It was the only time I believed her ramblings about her nerves. That and the doctor had to tend to my hand."

"Your hand?" Bingley inquired, quite puzzled.

"Yes. Mrs. Bennet broke a few bones in my hand when she squeezed it during a labor pain. To this day, I still can not bend my left index finger." They entered the library and Mr. Bennet went straight for the liquor tray and poured bourbon into a glass twice the usual size for such a drink, which he handed to Darcy. "Trust me, it is better that you remain here. Gentlemen, I suggest you get comfortable. We will be here a while."

"How long does this normally take?" Darcy was growing more and more nervous.

Mr. Bennet thought about it for a moment before answering, "Jane was about half a day, Lizzy half that, Mary was around two hours, Kate was a day and a half and Lydia was around an hour."

"So anywhere from an hour to a day and a half," said the Colonel with a chuckle. "Darcy, I think our father-in-law is right, it is best that you stay here."

A knock was heard and Kate's maid, Fiona entered. "Excuse me, sirs, but Miss Josephine's room is quite close to Mrs. Darcy's and the noise is frightening her. May she be brought in? She has been asking for Major General Fitzwilliam."

"Of course, Fiona. Bring her in." The Colonel rose and Darcy downed his drink before his niece was in the room.

Fiona wheeled Josephine in. She looked quite the little lady. She had been dressed her in something other than her nightgown for the first time since the accident. Her dress was a pretty rose color and she had a matching bow in her blonde ringlets. Fiona had propped her up on pink soft satin pillows and she was smiling broadly at her uncles and grandfathers.

"Tank you, Fona," she said sweetly at the young woman.

Fiona smiled back at her. "You're welcome, Miss Josephine." Fiona left the room and the Colonel crossed to his niece, gingerly picked her up and sat down with her on his lap. She giggled at him.

"What is so funny, little miss?" The Colonel asked her.

"Unca Darcy look funny, Unca Fizzwillum," she said, her giggles getting bigger and making her other uncles laugh as well. Uncle Darcy did look funny. He had been chewing on his lip and rubbing his scalp with his fist.

"Yes, he does, Josephine," Mr. Bennet said. "Your Aunt Darcy is going to have her baby. Are you excited to have a cousin?"

"Yes, but I wish Mama and Papa and Baby was here." The gentlemen looked at the little girl and then at one another. How could they respond to this? She had just acknowledged something that they did not think she understood. "Papa writes everyday. Why doesn't Mama?"

Bingley swallowed and answered carefully, "Mama can not write you. But she loves you very much."

Josephine nodded. She missed her Mama and Papa. She wanted to see the baby. Her aunts had told her that Mama and the baby had died but what did that mean? She did not know. All she knew was that she did not hurt as much and she missed them all.

The gentlemen continued to talk, steering clear of babies, Lydia and Wickham. Around noon, lunch was brought in and while the others enjoyed sandwiches, Josephine tried to feed herself her brother with her good arm and was actually quite successful, only spilling once and it landed on her napkin. After lunch, she dozed off while Bingley and Mr. Bennet played chess and the Colonel and Darcy talked about the little girl sleeping on the couch.

"Have you and Kate decided what will be done? Is Kate going to go with you into Sussex?"

"Yes, she is, but not until Josephine is well enough. I am going to go a few weeks ahead to rent a house and get the necessary furnishings before they arrive." They both looked over at their niece, who was softly snoring.

Darcy chuckled. "While I wish to have a daughter with as sweet a temper as Josephine, I will not envy you once she is out in company."

Colonel Fitzwilliam groaned. "Yes, I know. With two imprudent parents, let us hope that nurture will counteract nature. But, I have decided that all my daughters and Josephine will not be out in company until they are twenty-five or married, which ever comes first."

"Why? You married a young lady who was barely eighteen," Darcy pointed out.

"Yes, and I still feel a bit like a dirty old man when we are…um…in…certain situations," he said nervously, glancing at his father-in-law, praying he had not heard him.

"I see."

"Come, would you let a daughter of yours to marry a man thirteen years her senior?"

Darcy understood and gravely said, "As a father, no, I would not. I would take the man out shooting and "accidentally" shoot him in the groin."

"So you see my point."

"Yes, I do."

"Gentlemen, let me advise you," Mr. Bennet called out, "first, when speaking of your relationships with your wives and are in my company, don't. Second, do not think that I have not considered taking all of you out "shooting." Although I have five, my daughters are my daughters and to me, they are all still my little girls." He looked at his granddaughter. "I feel sorry for her. Not only must she be brought up away from her parents, she has three uncles that are going to be very protective of her."

Kate then burst into the room. "Darcy, come quick!" Darcy ran out of the room with his sister-in-law to Lizzy's bedchamber. Kate would not answer any of his questions accept that Lizzy was well, but tired and that everything had gone fine.

Kate knocked on the door and Mary opened the door. Lizzy was sitting up in bed, tired, but quite happy. He looked around and did not see a baby.

"Lizzy, are you well? Where is the baby?" He sat next to her, growing increasingly agitated.

Lizzy laughed at him. "I am fine." She looked at Jane and Mrs. Reynolds, who both had their backs to him. "Jane? Mrs. Reynolds?" They both turned around, each holding a baby.

"Twins?" Darcy asked, both excited and surprised.

"Twins!" Lizzy replied. The two babies were placed on the bed, beside their parents. One was awake and looking around, the other slept peacefully.

"What are they?"

"Babies, Darcy," Lizzy teased.

"I mean, boy or girl?"

"Girls, both of them." Lizzy smiled sleepily. Darcy kissed her, then his daughters. The ladies retreated from the room, leaving the new parents alone with their children.

"Well, what are their names? They can't both be Ann Francis." Darcy picked up one, careful of her head. He cradled the newborn, looking into her open, blue eyes. Lizzy picked up the other and held her just as carefully, but more at ease.

"I do not think that either of them is Ann Francis." They both put the baby they held back on the bed and began to debate names.

"One should be called Ann."

"Oh, I quite agree, but not Ann Francis. And Francis is not a name that I like as a first name." Lizzy lay back on her pillows and yawned. This was easily one of the longest and best days of her life.

Darcy was engrossed in his thoughts, thinking of every woman's name her had ever heard or read. "What of Sarah?"

"Sarah?" Lizzy thought for a moment and nodded. "I like that."

"Ann Sarah?" Darcy stopped. "Sarah Ann."

Lizzy sat back up. "I love that name. Which is Sarah Ann?"

Darcy studied his two daughters, saying the names to each. They both had clear blue eyes and fluffy dark hair. They looked identical. But the one that was awake, the one to the left, tilted her head when he said it to her.

"This one. She is already answering to it."

"And what of the other?" Lizzy looked at her sleeping daughter and smiled. "Susanna? After my Aunt Philips?"

"I quite like that."

"What about Susanna Francis?"

"Second names after our mothers, first names of our choice. I fitting tribute, I think. Names similar but different enough to make them separate people." Darcy looked at the two babies, amazed that he was a father of not only one, but two daughters.

A knock came, and Jane peered in. "May I come in?"

"Yes, come in and meet your nieces, Sarah Ann and Susanna Francis." Lizzy smiled at her favorite sister, wishing she could know the joy she felt at that moment.

"Lizzy, I must confess, I thought that you would have twins and, well, I made booties in different colors to tell them apart if they were the same sex." Jane unwrapped the babies from their swaddling and put a pair of pink booties on Sarah and a violet pair on Susanna.

"Jane, I can not help but notice that those booties are both very feminine colors. Did you make two other pairs in case it was two boys?" Darcy asked.

Jane laughed. "Mr. Darcy, I knew it would be two girls. Look at my family. No sons to be seen."

Darcy laughed in response and Lizzy asked them to place the babies in their cradles so she could get some much needed, and much deserved, rest.


	10. Chapter 10

Summer left and with it, Jane and Mr. Bingley moved into their estate, Lockwood Manor, which was located on the other side of Lambton. Soon after they were settled, Jane announced that she was with child and was due mid spring.

The Colonel also left Pemberly for Sussex. He wrote to his wife to inform her of his arrival and that renting a house was not needed. They were to be provided with a house that they could decorate as they saw fit. A few week after he left, Kate and Josie (Mr. Bennet had taken to calling her that and she liked it so much, she would not answer to anything else) went to Sussex as well. Josie was walking again, with the help of little crutches but she tired very quickly and relied mostly on her wagon to get around.

Pemberly became quieter, but not entirely. Sarah and Susanna required constant attention from their parents, grandfather and Aunts Mary and Georgiana. They were all astonished by how quickly their personalities were formed. Sarah was always awake, watching the whole room, as if she were studying her relations. She never made any noise unless she needed something. Susanna slept the whole day and night, only waking for food and play. She was a giggly baby, smiled at everyone and, like her sister, cried only when in need of some form of attention. They were quite sure that they were identical, but they would not know for sure until they were a bit older. They both had clear blue eyes and fluffy dark hair that stood straight up and could not be tamed.

Mr. Bennet greatly enjoyed his duties as grandfather. He played the infants for hours on end, sent funny letters to Josie. He had even given Susanna a nickname already, Susie, and all thought that it would most like stick as Josephine's had.

Mary had not returned to the parsonage since the wedding and had finished reading all of the books that she had borrowed from Mr. Foster. She was tempted to just have a servant take them but she knew that he could not be avoided forever. While she saw him every Sunday at church, she always left quickly so that awkwardness was avoided. But the christening of Sarah and Susie was growing nearer. She could not avoid him then, it was impossible.

One morning, she decided that she had been foolish enough, borrowed Georgiana's phaeton, which she had learned to drive, and paid a visit to the parsonage. When she pulled up in front of the house, Mr. Foster was in his garden, picking dead blossoms off the vines growing on his house. He did not seem to hear her drive up. From her seat, she could see that he was bleeding quite badly from the thorns. She jumped out of the phaeton, abandoning the books, and ran to the cleric.

"Mr. Foster, are you all right?" She stood a little ways away from him, so not to make him uncomfortable.

"Miss Bennet! Forgive me, I was not expecting you." He hid his hands behind his back, but he knew that she had seen them. "I… I was catching up on my gardening; I have fallen behind this week due to unforeseen events."

"I understand. I have come to return your books."

"Good. Um, thank you. May I help you bring them in?"

"Oh, no, I can manage." She went back and collected the many volumes with greater ease than he had expected. They went into the house and to the library. As she placed the books back on the shelves, Mr. Foster attempted to mend his hand. After hearing him wince, Mary turned around. "May I help you? I am quite familiar with such scratches."

"Um, yes, you may." Mary sat across from him and unwrapped the dirty rags he had tied around his hands. She called for the servant and asked her to bring some clean cloth. When they were brought, she took a bottle of alcohol from the small kit that had also be provided to her and poured a little on one of the rags.

"This will sting," she told him as she began to clean his hands.

Mr. Foster winced in pain a few times before asking, "How are you familiar with this type of scratch?"

Mary smiled. "My youngest sister, Lydia, once pushed Kate into the rose bush in our garden. I cared for her."

"My goodness, how old were they? Six, Seven?

"Fourteen and sixteen. Kate had refused to let Lydia were her best dress to a party." She chuckled to herself. "My mother blamed Kate, saying that she should have just let Lydia have the dress, my mother always gave Lydia what she wanted. It was easier that way."

"How badly was she hurt?"

"Very badly. She had to be cut out of the bush because her dress was so tangled in the thorns. Her entire back, her arms, legs and face were scratched. We had to clean her wounds twice a day for a week because Lydia left her there and my sister Jane and I found her almost an hour later."

Mr. Foster cleared his throat uncomfortable as Mary wrapped his hands in the remaining clean rags.

"My fiancé, Lady Emilia, was just here. She has broken off our engagement."

Mary was shocked but not sorry. "Forgive me if I am imprudent, but why?"

"She is in love with someone else and is with child."

Mary gasped. How scandalous! A woman, engaged to a man, carrying another man's child! Had she taken more after her mother, all the neighborhood would know it by nightfall. But, as she was the most unlike her mother of all her sisters, she instead reached over to the table behind her that held several liquors and choosing a bottle of wine, she placed it in front of Mr. Foster. "Normally, I do not condone the drinking of alcohol, but I feel that now is an appropriate time and will not judge you for it."

Mr. Foster smiled at her and laughed after a moment. "No, I do not drink. I only keep it for my guests."

They talked for hours until Mary realized that it was only an hour before dinner was to be served and she must take her leave. Mr. Foster followed her outside and helped her into the phaeton.

"May I call on you tomorrow, Miss Bennet?" he asked nervously.

"Yes, you may, Mr. Foster." Mary drove off, saying aloud, "how well "Mary Foster" sounds."


	11. Chapter 11

A week later was the christening. Many of the relatives that had been there for the wedding also came, except for Ann De Bourgh. Lady Catherine had learned of her adventure into Derbyshire and refused to allow her to leave her sight.

Upon her arrival, Mrs. Philips insisted on seeing her namesake. She and Susie bonded instantly on her arrival. All of the guests were in the sitting room, catching up and admiring the babies. Susie sat in Mrs. Philips' lap the entire evening, quite content and cried when her mother put her and her sister to bed.

The Fitzwilliams had also returned, for the christening and for the rest of their belongings. Kate was pleased with her new home and was enjoying decorating it to her taste. Josie liked living with her aunt and uncle but it was clear to everyone that she dearly missed her father. That evening, Kate related to Lizzy and Jane an event that had taken place the day before.

"I was carrying her downstairs for breakfast and she called me "Mama." Jane gasped. "I did not know how to respond, I was so shocked, so I did not correct her. She kept calling me that all day until finally I explained to her that I was not her mama, that I was Aunt Kate and she began to cry. I think she is forgetting Lydia. It is understandable; she is very young and is not likely to remember her well, if she does at all by the time she is grown up."

"Have you written to Wickham about it?" Jane asked.

"Yes, but there is nothing he can do. He has no portrait of her, not even a miniature. I want something for Josie to have to remember her by."

"Papa!" Lizzy cried. "Remember a few years ago when Papa had miniatures of all of us made? He must still have it. Perhaps he would give it to you for Josie."

Kate spoke to her father. He did not know where the miniature was but promised to look for it and send it to Sussex when he did.

The next morning, they all went to the church. Mary sat in the front pew with Kate and Aunt Philips, watching Bingley and Jane be named godparents to the little girls. Her eyes fell on Mr. Foster. He glanced at her and she looked quickly looked away and blushed. After the ceremony was finished, they all returned to Pemberly for a luncheon on the lawn and tea later in the afternoon.

Mary was sitting on a blanket with Mrs. Gardiner and holding Sarah. Mrs. Gardiner had invited her to stay with them in town for the winter.

"I know that we do not have quite the library that Pemberly does, but there are several public libraries nearby," Mrs. Gardiner said as she tickled Sarah.

"Thank you, Aunt, but I could not leave Pemberly now. Lizzy needs my help with the twins and I have made such friends here, that leaving would not be wise."

Mr. Foster came over to her and she introduced him to her. Upon hearing his name, Mrs. Gardiner narrowed her eyes and grew quiet, as if deep in thought. Mr. Foster noticed her discomfort and quickly left them to speak with Darcy.

"Mary, is that one of the friends of whom you spoke of?" she asked her niece carefully. Mary blushed and admitted that he was. "Mary, come with me."

Mary handed Sarah to her Aunt Philips before following Aunt Gardiner away from the rest of the party.

"My dear niece, I only tell you this out of fear for your heart once word comes north. Was Mr. Geoffrey Foster engaged to a Lady Emilia Bracknell?"

Mary was shocked that her aunt knew of their connection. "Yes, he was, and I am glad to say that he no longer is as she was horribly rude to me."

"How was she rude to you?"

"I met her at the Fitzwilliam's wedding and she said to my face that she was glad that I was not handsome since Mr. Foster and I were becoming friends."

Mrs. Gardiner paused before asking, "Mary, how did their engagement end?"

"Mr. Foster said that Lady Emilia was the one who broke it off and that she was marrying another man and was already with child."

"Oh, Mary. That is not how it happened."

Mary was taken aback. "Aunt, you normally do not listen to gossip. If Mr. Foster assures me that she was the one to end their engagement, then I believe him."

"Mary, believe me. Mr. Foster quite publicly ended the engagement by writing a letter that was then published in the paper. He claims that Lady Emilia was with child, but not one by him. Lady Emilia has insisted that he is indeed the father of her child."

"But she must be lying! He is a clergyman!"

"My dear, just because a man is a clergyman does not automatically mean that he is a respectable man. Many people only doubt him because Lady Emilia's father is notoriously protective of his daughter. He never taught her proper manners, how to pay a compliment. Her mother died in childbirth and she was educated in France, in a nunnery, and she was only allowed out in company two years ago, when she turned twenty. Her father locked her in her room every night once her figure formed out of fear that a male servant might make advances toward her. She was never allowed to dance with anyone but her brother at balls, even after she and Mr. Foster became engaged."

"There must be some misunderstanding. This can not be! If her father was so protective, how did she come to Derbyshire alone for the wedding ceremony?"

"That is not all, Mary," she said, breathing deeply before continuing. "Since the letter was published, so many reputable tradesmen and proprietors of inns and pubs have come forward, saying that Mr. Foster owes them money, has started fights on their property, and drank more than he could afford. Many single young ladies, below our station in life, have also come forward, claiming that their children are his. All of London is in such an uproar about this, I am amazed that you have not heard of it yet. Everyone is supporting Lady Emilia and her father has said that if Mr. Foster returns to town, he will have him arrested and force him to either marry his daughter or go to debtors' jail."

Mary could not speak. She was stunned by this knowledge. She went through scenes in her mind, his sideways glances at his maids, his almost empty wine bottles, his inability to write his own sermons. "Aunt, you must tell Mr. Darcy this. You must! If any part of this is, in fact, correct, Mr. Foster can not remain for another Sunday. Such a man should not stand in a pulpit and advice honest people on how to behave and what to believe."

Mrs. Gardiner agreed and immediately went to Mr. Darcy and asked to speak to him in doors. Mary remained where her aunt had left her. An hour later, they returned and after briefly conversing with Lizzy, who soon seemed greatly distressed, he asked Mr. Foster to come with him at once. Tea was served and Mary sat with Lizzy and Aunt Gardiner. Lizzy was upset that another Mr. Wickham had come into their lives, Mary was distraught that she had allowed herself to form an attachment for such a man and Mrs. Gardiner attempted to comfort both her nieces.

Darcy returned hours later, near sunset, and alone. He thanked Mrs. Gardiner for confiding in him and told his wife and Mary that Mr. Foster's position had been terminated and he had a day to collect his things and leave Derbyshire forever and return to town and face the consequences for his actions.

Mary's eyes began to well with tears. "Aunt, I think I will go to London with you. I wish to meet with Lady Emilia again."


	12. Chapter 12

A week later, Mary arrived in London with her aunt and uncle. Mr. Foster had left the parsonage the day after the picnic, abandoning all his belongings. He did not go to London. In fact, no one knew where he had gone. He simply vanished into thin air.

Her young cousins could be seen waiting in the parlor window as they drove up and when they entered the house, eight little arms wrapped themselves around her waist. Mary had become their favorite cousin, as she knew the most unusual stories from all her reading and was just a dear and patient with them as Jane had been.

Margaret, the eldest, was ten. She was quite plain looking, but pleasant and funny. She wrote often to Mary, asking her for advice on books to read, how to translate certain passages she was working on, and what piano forte pieces she had learned. Eleanor was the next oldest, aged only eight years. She was very pretty and it was obvious to everyone that she would grow into a great beauty, like Jane. She actually was a miniature Jane, sweet, affectionate and trusting; she loved everyone and could not bring her self to think ill of anyone. The boys, Nathan and Fred, were seven and five. They were typical little boys, running, playing loudly, they commanded most of their parents' attention due to their behavior.

They had arrived quite late in the evening that all four of the children were in their nightclothes and were promptly sent up to bed by their mother. Mary retired to her room, not as elegant as her room at Pemberly, but more so than that at Longbourn. Mary fell asleep quickly and did not wake until morning. When she woke and had dressed, she wrote a note to Lady Emilia, offering her condolences for her situation, and went down to breakfast. The post arrived and her note to its recipient was taken by the man who delivered the letters.

Mary, Margaret and Eleanor were seated at the piano forte together when a response had arrived. Mary had been teaching them simple songs but left them to read her letter.

_Miss Bennet,_

_I thank you for your kind words and prayers for me. Since you are in town, I ask that you come and visit me as soon as you possibly can. I would come to you, but my father will not allow me to leave the house due to my situation and the scandal that has already arisen._

_Lady Emilia Bracknell_

Mary went to her aunt and asked to borrow the carriage so that she may call on Lady Emilia. The carriage was given, and off Mary went to the fashionable part of town. Mary had never seen this part of London before and she was amazed by the ornate buildings and fine clothing of the people she saw. She felt dowdy and old-fashioned in her relatively new clothing but she pushed such frivolous thoughts out of her mind as quickly as she could. Mary was above ideas of that kind, even if she was a young lady. She soon arrived in front of a stately building and was admitted entry by a very civil footman. She was shown in to the foyer, which was decorated exquisitely, but not to her taste. The housekeeper, an elderly woman named Mrs. Campbell, greeted her and upon introducing herself, she was led upstairs, to a sitting room. On a chaise sat Lady Emilia.

"Miss Bennet, how good of you to come see me! I must thank you for it, fore while I have received much support from all my friends, very few think it acceptable to visit me." She was very friendly, kissing Mary's cheek to greet her. Mary noted that she was showing a little, about as much Lizzy had half way through her time.

'Half way…' Mary said to herself. It was then that she realized that Lady Emilia's child must have been conceived around the time of the Fitzwilliam's wedding, when she had come to visit her fiancé.

"Oh, no, thank you for seeing me. I wished to see you as soon as I heard of all that has happened." Mary paused to accept a cup of tea that Lady Emilia had poured for her. "Lady Emilia, I must express my condolences. Unfortunately, my family has had similar situation happen to us." Then Mary related to her the story of Lydia and Wickham.

"Yes, it is quite fortunate that they were found. But I do not think that Geoffrey will be found. He is quite good at concealing himself. It was our engagement that made him run off to the continent. His parents forced him into it and he wanted to put off the wedding as long as he could. He only returned to England when my brother, Henry, found him in Paris."

"In Paris? What ever was he doing there?"

"At the time, he said that he was researching Catholicism. Now, I believe that he was squandering his family's money." Lady Emilia brushed away a tear that had begun to fall. "Forgive me, Miss Bennet, I have no control of my emotions at present."

"Of course." Mary was growing uncomfortable; she was unaccustomed to calling on someone without a family member with her. "Lady Emilia—"

"Please, call my Emily. I despise being called Lady Emilia. It is only a title that I have done nothing to earn except by the daughter of a Lord." Both of the young ladies relaxed. "What were you saying?"

"Emily, may I be so bold to tell you that before he left Derbyshire, I believe that Mr. Foster had chosen me as his next object of prey."

"Oh, Mary. I am glad that some good has come out of this. I am glad that before he had the chance to do to you what he did to me, his true self was learned of."

"'Did to you'? What do you mean 'did to you'?" Mary asked, her eyes widening in anticipation.

"Miss Bennet, I will trust you not to speak of what I am to tell you. Things are already bad enough, this would only make things worse."

"You have my promise to speak it to anyone else."

Emily took a deep breath before beginning, "It happened the night of your sister's wedding. I had come to Derbyshire to watch the ceremony, his first marriage ceremony, with a manservant. After the reception, we returned to the parsonage. All the servants, even my own, were gone. Geoffrey said that he had given them the night off to celebrate with the servants of Pemberly. We went into the library. I do not drink, Mary, I abhor the taste of alcohol, even in food." Emily was beginning to cry but still managed to continue. "But, somehow, he managed to get me to drink almost an entire bottle of wine, while having none himself. I will spare you the details, they are so awful that I can not speak of them. All I will say is that I tried to make him stop. I tried, Mary, I truly did but he would not. He left me in his library, on the couch, alone, where I was found by a maid early in the morning. She helped me clean myself up, dress and promised me that if I came to visit again and the servants were dismissed for the evening, she would stay behind. I left that morning without seeing him. I did not write to him nor did I see him again until I came alone to tell him that I had learned that I was with child. He immediately denied forcing himself on me, insisting that I had seduced him and that he could not marry such a woman." Her cries had shifted into sobs by the end of her tale.

"Oh, Emily. I am so sorry that such things have happened to you," Mary said as she reached out to comfort her new friend. Emily accepted her comforting and as soon as she had composed her self, she rang the bell for the servant.

"Christina, please ask Sir Bracknell to come here." The maid curtsied and left the room. A few moments later, a young man was bright red hair entered the room. Mary was shocked, she had been expecting Emily's father. The young man was about twenty-five, taller than any other man that she had met, but had very broad shoulders. There was something very safe about him, something comforting in the way he carried himself.

"Emily, are you all right?" he asked, in a very considered manner.

"I am fine, Henry. I merely wish to introduce you to my friend, Miss Mary Bennet. Mary, this is my elder brother, Sir Henry Bracknell." They bowed and curtsied to one another.

"I am pleased to meet you, Miss Bennet."

"And I you, Sir Bracknell."

"I would ask you to meet our father, Mary, but he is at the Palace today. Apparently, such an uproar has been created by my situation, that the king and regent want to become involved." Emily sat back down as the same maid from before brought in a tray of cakes and fruits. Emily piled her plate high and seemed to groan with each bite. "I can not tell you, Mary, how delicious chocolate is to me right now. I can not get enough of it and, in some way, I am glad to not have to worry about my figure."

Mary laughed and helped to herself to a small cake as Sir Bracknell asked Mary, "Are you from town, Miss Bennet?"

"No, Sir, I am from Longbourn, in Hertfordshire, but lately I have been at Pemberly, in Derbyshire." She saw Sir Bracknell clench his jaw at the mention of Derbyshire. "Sir, I wish to make it known to you that my brother-in-law, Mr. Darcy, dismissed Mr. Foster as soon as he learned of his impertinent behavior from my aunt."

"Forgive me, Miss Bennet, I can not bear to hear anything of Mr. Foster. Twice he has abandoned my sister."

"I am sorry, I will not do it again." She blushed and returned to her cake.

Emily wished to change the topic of conversation and asked Mary, "Your sister, Mrs. Darcy, had her baby a few months ago, did she not?"

"Yes, but she had twins."

"Twins! How wonderful!" Emily said as she refilled her plate as Sir Bracknell sat next to her.

"Yes, twin girls, Sarah and Susannah. They are dear girls."

"Are they identical?" Sir Bracknell asked, surprising Mary greatly that he was at all interested.

"We do not know yet, since all babies look alike when they are first born. But I think that they are. They have such different personalities they must be." Mary looked at the clock and saw that is was nearly six o'clock and she and her relatives had tickets to the theatre that night. She apologized and began to take her leave.

"Mary, may I be so bold as to invite you, your aunt and uncle to dine with us next week? I dearly wish to see you again," Emily entreated her.

"I am not sure what the Gardiner's have planned, but I will send word tomorrow morning."

She curtsied to the young lady and her brother. As she climbed into the carriage, Mary realized that for the first time ever, she had a friend.


	13. Chapter 13

Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner agreed to attend dinner with Mary at the Bracknell's home. The morning after she had met with her, Mary and her aunt went shopping for new dresses because they learned from Emily's response that her father and several of his friends, including the regent himself, would be in attendance. Mary had written back, saying that they had no idea of what would be appropriate to wear for such an occasion as dinner with the future King of England. Emily wrote back, agreeing to meet them in a shop because she needed a new dress as well.

Mrs. Gardiner never thought that Mary would be the niece to get her invited to a dinner with the Prince Regent. She was thrilled and insisted on paying for Mary's dress as she walked to the shop where they would meet Emily.

Emily was already there. She was being measured by the seamstress and after the proper introductions, the three ladies had a very enjoyable morning, trying on samples, studying fashion plates, looking at swatches of fabric and choosing colors and trims. Mary was not used to being able to customize a dress with such finery and ended up choosing a pale turquoise blue gown with white lace over it, flowing loosely on the bottom and elbow length sleeves. A white sating ribbon accented her waist, as well. Her aunt chose a red and white dress, simple but made out of fine silk. The main part was white, with capped sleeves but the red part was almost toga-like, much more fashionable than anything she had ever worn. Emily ordered several gowns, few that she owned would fit her for much longer, and while she got the most, she took just as long as her new friends.

Mary called on Emily a few times before the dinner and when her dresses arrived, Emily modeled them for her. The two had become good friends over the week. Their mornings were spent together and most afternoons, Sir Bracknell joined them until Mary left for the day.

The day of the dinner came. Mary and Mrs. Gardiner spent the day preparing for the event in the latter's dressing room. When the time came and they were headed out the front door, Mary took one last glance at her self in the glass and thought to herself that she had never looked more beautiful than she did that evening. With her aunt and uncle, she climbed into the carriage. They arrived at the Bracknell's home soon and were shown in by two servants who took their cloaks as well.

"Miss Bennet! I am so pleased that you could join us this evening," Emily cried out to her as they entered the room. The two friends greeted each other and after Mr. Gardiner was introduced, she led them into the sitting room where the others were. A tall, older gentleman came towards them. "Papa, may I introduce you to my good friend, Miss Mary Bennet and her aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Gardiner?

"Please to meet you all," He said, bowing to them. "Miss Bennet, I am so glad that my daughter has been able to find a true friend in spite of her condition. Please consider your self welcome in our home at all times."

"I thank you, Sir. If I am a true friend, it is only because your daughter makes such an enjoyable companion."

"Yes, Emily is a dear girl. Come; let me introduce you to the rest of the party." He showed them graciously around the room, introducing them to everyone. The party was made up of lords, family member (including Sir Bracknell), merchants, attorneys and clergymen. "His Highness is not here yet but I doubt he will be long."

After mingling for a few minutes, Mary sat her self next to Emily when the doors to room opened again and in came the Prince Regent himself. Mary was shocked; he was nothing like what she was expecting. He was not a tall man, as his father was known to be in his youth, but not short, he was not fit or fat. He was possibly the most average man Mary had ever met in her life. On his arm, was a woman a little older then him, in her early forties, and handsome for her age.

The whole party stood and bowed or curtsied to him and after greeting Lord Bracknell, the Regent made his way around the room, greeting everyone in the room. When he came to the settee that Emily and Mary were standing by, he bowed to them both again before saying, "Lady Bracknell, would you be so kind as to introduce me to your friend?"

"Of course, Your Highness. This is Miss Mary Bennet."

"Miss Bennet, I am pleased to meet you. Tell me, how did you meet Lady Emilia?" While he was incredibly plain, he soon proved to be charming enough to make up for it.

"We met at my younger sister's wedding, Your Highness, a few months ago. When I came to town with my aunt and uncle, whom you have already met, I wished to renew the acquaintance."

"Yes, Lady Emilia makes a good friend and I dare say is in need of one her self. I am glad that you have filled that place, Miss Bennet."

"As am I, Your Highness."

With that, he quitted them and they sat back down. Mary eyed the woman that had accompanied the prince. Mary did not know who she was, but she had heard enough gossip to know that she was not the prince's wife. "Emily, who is she?"

"Oh, that is Mrs. FitzHerbert. She is the prince's wife." Emily noticed Mary's eyes widen and said in a low voice, "Mary, calm yourself. She is his secret wife."

"What do you mean 'secret wife'?" she said, matching her friends tone.

"Mrs. FitzHerbert is a Catholic, Mary. The heir to the throne can not marry a Catholic. They were married a few years before he was forced to marry Princess Caroline but it this is not a legal marriage. In fact, Princess Caroline has not been in England for years. The king will not allow the next queen to be a Catholic, let alone a divorcee."

Mary's eyes widen again. "A divorcee? That would be quite scandalous."

"Yes, so keep this to your self. Tell your aunt and uncle that as well. The fewer number of people that know, the better."

Mary was about to ask her what she meant when a servant came in to announce dinner. Sir Bracknell came to them and offered them his arms to lead them to the dining parlor. Emily and Mary had the luck of being placed next to one another and on her other side, was Sir Bracknell. She and Emily were quite content, eating the delicious courses, speaking to one another quite frequently and giggling at the older gentleman seated across from them who, in spite of being old enough to be her grandfather, eyed Mary in a very improper way.

"Emily, do you intend to play this evening?" her brother asked.

"I may, brother. Why do you ask? Do you have any requests?" Emily said as she helped her self to more cold ham.

"It has been a while since I have had the pleasure of dancing. I dearly wish to dance tonight, Emily. Just play at least one piece that I may dance to," he said in such a cold manner the Mary could not help but giggle to herself. "Is something wrong, Miss Bennet?"

"No, Sir Bracknell, I simply have never heard a gentleman say that he wished to dance. Many ladies, yes. But never a gentleman."

"I am not like most gentlemen, Miss Bennet. I learned very early that dancing is the best way to continue an acquaintanceship with a lady with limited interruption from others."

"You like dancing because it promotes conversation?"

"Yes. It is the only way the respectable young ladies and gentlemen may speak together without the inconvenience of a chaperone."

"Well, if that is really the only way to talk to a member of the opposite sex, then I should have practiced my dancing as much as my sisters Kate and Lydia did. If what you claim is true, then it explains why I spend most balls sitting alone after giving up on finding someone to talk to."

Sir Bracknell opened his mouth to respond but his father stood up and invited the gentlemen to join him in the library for brandy. He followed the other gentlemen out of the room and Emily also asked the ladies to join her in the sitting room. Mary noticed that all the gentlemen had grown agitated as they left the room and she intended to ask Emily about it as soon as she could.

Mary got her chance sooner than she thought she would. Emily decided to play and asked Mary to turn the pages for her. After a few lines, Mary said to her friend, "How odd the gentlemen were behaving near the end of dinner."

"Yes. Quite odd." Emily continued to play a little more before she said, "Mary, the Regent thinks that Mr. Foster has been found."

"Really? Where is he?"

"His family has been helping my father locate him. They are just as appalled by his actions as everyone else. He has written to his brother. He currently is Ireland." Emily kept playing but Mary saw a tear slide down her cheek.

"What will happen to him? Will he be brought back to England?" Mary surveyed to room and saw that the other ladies were completely oblivious to what was going on.

"I do not know. I wish him to be put in jail for his actions but I can not bear the thought of ever having to see him again. But I can not bear the thought of carrying his child and I am. I will not marry him. I have already told my father that and he will not make me."

"So what do the gentlemen have left to discuss?"

"They are deciding what Mr. Foster will be charged with. He will automatically be put in jail for his debts, but it is no guarantee that he will remain there. He did force himself upon me but there are no witnesses and I did not tell anyone until I learned that I was with child. I just hope that he has perhaps done something else that we will become aware of that will force him to remain in jail for a longer period of time."

Lord Bracknell and the prince came into room. Mr. Gardiner and the other gentlemen followed. Mr. Gardiner, who looked rather green, came to his wife and Mary saw the two whisper to one another. As Emily continued to play, Mrs. Gardiner walked towards them.

"Mary, your uncle is not feeling well. I believe he ate too much fish, as he always does. We are going to take the carriage home but if you wish to stay, we can send it back for you."

"Thank you, Aunt. That is very kind. Yes, I think I will stay for a while longer."

"Mrs. Gardiner, there is no need to send your carriage back, I would be happy to loan our own to take her home when the time comes."

"Are you sure, Lady Emilia? I would not wish to inconvenience you."

"It is no inconvenience at all, ma'am. I do not think that any of my family will be going anywhere tonight."

"Thank you, Lady Emilia. And thank you for having us this evening." And then Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner bade farewell to the rest of the party and their host. Emily continued to play until the prince came over to her.

"Well, Lady Emilia, I do believe that some of those here wish to dance."

"Indeed, Your Highness? And are not you one of them?"

"Ah, Lady Emilia, you know me well and how I love to dance."

"What do you wish to dance? My fingers await your instruction."

The prince named the dance and he approached Mrs. FitzHerbert and the a few other couples joined them. Just before Emily began to play, Sir Bracknell stood next to Mary and cleared his throat.

"Miss Bennet, would you care to dance?" Mary looked at him and was confused by his awkwardness but there was something sweet and honest in his face that made her smile, warmly.

"Yes, Sir Bracknell, I do." He offered her his hand and led her to where the others were standing. "I find it only fair to warn you that I am an awful dancer."

Emily began to play and as Mary and her brother went down the dance, she smirked. Her brother was awful at hiding his emotions and it was obvious to her that he cared for her friend a great deal. They were both so shy that neither would actively pursue the other. Emily made it her mission to get them together before she was a mother.

Mary did not like dancing. Or parties. Or socializing, for that matter. But this evening at the Bracknell's was easily one of the most enjoyable she had ever had. She had danced every dance, four with Sir Bracknell, one with a young officer and even one with the prince himself. As she had danced with the prince, she thought, 'Oh, Mama, I would love to know what you would say if you could see me, plain and dull Mary, dancing with the future King of England.'

She was the last guest to leave but she did not feel that her friend or her brother wished her to leave when she did. But Emily intended make her first move to push her friend to her brother.

"Henry," Emily said as a servant brought Mary her cloak, "why do not you escort Mary home? It is rather late and I would never forgive myself should something to her."

"Oh, no, Emily. It is unnecessary. Gracechurch Street is not very far. I will be perfectly fine," Mary protested.

"Miss Bennet, I agree with my sister. Please, allow me to see you home. While Cheapside is relatively safe during the day, it is not so at night."

The siblings continued their entreaties until Mary gave in and she and Sir Bracknell climbed into the carriage.

"Thank you, Sir, for seeing me home," Mary said as the carriage began to move.

"It is nothing, Miss Bennet." They then grew quiet. Mary looked out the window, unsure of what to stay. Her thoughts drifted toward Mr. Foster and how easy conversation with him had been.

The silence was interrupted after several minutes by Sir Bracknell. "I suppose that Emily has acquainted you with the information that we have learned from the Fosters."

"Yes. What has been decided?" Mary snapped out of her dream world and looked at the young man across from her.

"Mr. Foster's younger brother and I are going to go to Ireland to retrieve him with several officers of the king's command. He is going to be brought back to London and be put on trial for his debts. We hope to learn of other crimes to charge him with."

"I am glad that he has been located and that his family is so willing to help your sister. I believe that many would not do so in such situations," Mary said.

"Yes. We are to return in time for Christmas." Sir Bracknell paused, deep in thought. "Miss Bennet, may I write to you while I am away?" Mary was taken aback by such a request and her companion noticed who startled she seemed. "I only ask because I am unable to lie to my sister and father. If I write to you, would you be so kind as to soften the nature of events for Emily? I do not wish to upset her."

"Of course. You have my word that Emily will not hear anything that would upset her." Mary said as the carriage arrived at their destination.

"I thank you, Miss Bennet." He tipped his hat to her as he helped her from the carriage and once she was inside, he went home, recounting how wonderful dancing with her had been.


	14. Chapter 14

Sir Bracknell and the rest of his party had left London for Ireland the next week, the first week of November. He had informed his family that he would write to Miss Bennet who would, in turn, relay the necessary information to them. He wrote very frequently to her and the party had been having some success. Mary had kept her promise and related to her friend all of the party's successes and glossed over their failures.

By the end of the third week they had become acquainted with innkeepers and tavern owners that had become extraordinarily very helpful by giving them directions around Dublin and the surrounding area, telling them all the fresh gossip and it was through these means that they soon learned that Mr. Foster was attempting to gain a position at a church outside of Dublin that had a wealthy patron, a Sir McDonough, who had four unmarried daughters that were widely known to be incredibly silly, wasteful and naïve in spite of the fact that the youngest was already sixteen and the eldest five and twenty. Sir Bracknell wrote to Mary, telling her that he had arranged to meet with the gentleman of the estate the next day. Two days later, she received a letter detailing the event.

_Dear Miss Mary,_

_As I told you a few days ago, I was lucky to have arranged to meet with Sir McDonough. I met with him yesterday and my visit with him has proved to be most beneficial to our cause._

_I arrived at his home around one in the afternoon. I was shown into his study. He is an older gentleman, of a sickly constitution but as mentally capable as I am. I related to him my connection with Mr. Foster and I am somewhat pleased to say that he had not heard a word of it before then. He was shocked and appalled with Mr. Foster's conduct toward my sister. He informed me that Mr. Foster was actually staying in his home and he believed to have formed an attachment to his youngest daughter, a Miss Rose McDonough._

_ I had previously arranged for the rest of my party, including Mr. Foster's younger brother, Mr. William Foster, to wait in a separate room fore I thought that it was probable that he might be nearby. Sir McDonough sent for him and the rest of my party joined us in the study before Mr. Foster arrived. We succeeded in trapping him in the room and subduing him. He has admitted to not only forcing him self upon my sister, but forcing himself on several of the servants at the parsonage at Pemberly and assaulting the son of a Lord last year, who died as a result of his injuries._

_We are returning to London today and will be home by Thursday. Please inform my sister and father of my return and of Mr. Foster's capture. I have written to the prince as well and he has arranged for Mr. Foster to be placed in a labor camp for ten years. I ask that while you inform my sister of the apprehension of Mr. Foster, you do not tell her the circumstances and let me tell her all that has happened._

_On a personal note, I can not express how glad I am to have found him and by doing so, to have cleared my sister's name. And, equal to my happiness, how sad I am to have to end my correspondence with you. In truth, my letters to you have become a comfort to me in the past few weeks and your letters were a welcome respite from my companions._

_Your Friend,_

_Sir Henry_

Mary did not know what to make of the last paragraph. She was overjoyed; Mr. Foster had been apprehended and would be sent away! Sir Bracknell's parting words greatly confused her. She retrieved his other letters and made note of how is salutations and signature had changed. The first week, all the letters began with 'To Miss Bennet' and ended with simply 'Sir Bracknell'. The second week it was 'To Miss Mary Bennet' and 'From Sir Henry Bracknell'. This past week had been 'Dear Miss Bennet' and the same closure as the week prior. But this letter was so different. It was so familiar and friendly, free of the usual formality that Sir Bracknell's letters normally had. She did not know what to make of it.

She soon left her aunt and uncle's house that day to visit Emily. Emily was growing each day and seemed soon to deliver even though she had three months left. When she arrived, she was immediately shown upstairs to Emily sitting room.

"Emily! I have the best news!" Mary said as she burst into the room. "It is better than we could have ever had hoped for! They have found Mr. Foster!"

"What?" Emily stood up, shocked. She truly did not expect for her brother to have found Mr. Foster at all, let alone so quickly. "That is splendid news, Mary! How did they find him?"

"Your brother will tell you, he only told me that they found him," Mary lied. "If your father at home? Should not he know?"

"He is at St. James' right now. The prince requested to see him."

"Oh." Mary paused, poured some tea for herself and her friend.

"Did Henry say when he should be home?"

"Yes, he should be home tomorrow." Mary sipped her tea before asking, "Emily, is your brother promised to anyone as you were?"

"Well, he was, but the young lady asked to be released from the arrangement about four years ago. I do not think he was greatly affected by it however. They knew each other well when they were young but after their engagement was fixed upon, they only met a few times, nothing to ensure a true attachment between them and, to be perfectly frank, I did not like her at all. She was horribly enamored with a friend of her brother." Emily helped herself to a small cake and leaned back in her seat, enjoying the treat. "I believe her name was Caroline Bingley or something like that."

Mary began laughing into the tea and had to set her cup down less she were to spill it on the carpet. "Caroline Bingley?"

"Yes. Are you acquainted with her?"

"Yes, she is my eldest sister's sister-in-law and the man she was 'enamored' with is my next oldest sister's husband."

Emily burst out laughing. "Really?"

"Really."

"Oh, my, Mary. I can not believe that Caroline Bingley thought it possible that she could secure Mr. Darcy. I have never seen a couple more in love than the Darcys."

"Yes, Miss Bingley has yet to forgive my sister Elizabeth for stealing Mr. Darcy from her. When the twins were born, she wrote a letter to my brother-in-law that stated that she had given up on ever marrying him, or as she put it 'ever being the mistress of Pemberly'. Because apparently his marrying someone else was not enough of a conformation for her."

"I had always thought that she was quite supercilious."

"Yes, very much so."

As the afternoon went on, Emily began to feel ill and as her father had yet to return from St. James', she asked Mary to stay the night with her. Mary sent word to Gracechurch Street and a servant returned with several changes of clothing and a response from her aunt that said that if Emily's condition worsened, to send for her.

Emily felt worse as the evening went on and soon, Mrs. Gardiner was sent for and not long after that, the doctor arrived. Around midnight, Lord Bracknell returned and found his daughter in bed and the doctor, Miss Bennet and Mrs. Gardiner standing around her.

"Is everything all right?" he asked, nervously. He was dreading the moment his daughter went into labor, as it was how his wife had died.

"She will be, Lord Bracknell," the doctor began, "Your daughter is dealing with much more stress than most expectant mothers and I think it would be wise if for the rest of her condition, your daughter was confined to her bed for her health and the health of her child."

"If you think it best, Doctor," Lord Bracknell said as the doctor excused himself.

"Father, I know how you must be feeling but Miss Bennet does have some good news for you," Emily said with a smile.

"Mr. Foster has been apprehended outside of Dublin and Sir Bracknell will be back this afternoon with the offender in custody the officers."

Lord Bracknell was quite obviously stunned by this news. "How? They have not been gone a month yet."

"Sir Bracknell will inform you of all the details, in truth he told me very little. But he is coming home and Mr. Foster is with him."

Lord Bracknell thought it best that they all retire to bed and invited Mrs. Gardiner to stay until the morning but as she had come by her own carriage, she returned to Gracechurch Street. Mary was placed in the room next to Emily's and she slept quite peacefully until she awoke that morning at her usual time, six. She dressed and after re-braiding her hair until a maid could be found to do it properly, Mary put on her spectacles and left her room in search of the library for a book. She soon found it, downstairs, near the foyer and she entered the room with out knocking, figuring that it was so early that no one would be with in. Some one was.

It was Sir Bracknell. He sat at a desk, writing a letter, wearing his own spectacles. His hair was messy, and he was still in his traveling clothes. When Mary entered the room, he looked up, surprised to be interrupted, and after covering what he was writing with his hands, he smiled warmly upon seeing that it was her before him.

"I'm sorry, I did not think that anyone else would be up," Mary apologized as she began to leave the room.

"Please, Miss Bennet, stay. Do not let my presence be an inducement for you to leave," Sir Bracknell called after her. She returned and began to look among the shelves, sometimes taking a book and reading a few passages before placing it back in its place and continuing on. Sir Bracknell could not help but notice how pretty she was even though her hair was not done and she was wearing her spectacles. She was simply dressed, a white muslin frock with no decoration or details but she looked truly angelic in the morning light. In truth, this Mary Bennet, the young lady standing in a library, book in hand, hair braided simply to keep it out of her face and with her spectacles, seemed to him to be the true Mary Bennet. "Um… it is rather early for you to be here, Miss Bennet…" Sir Bracknell mentally slapped himself, he sounded far too pompous and territorial.

"I spent the night, Sir, your sister was ill." She chose a book and sat in a chair and began to read.

"Is she all right?" he asked nervously.

"Well, yes and no. She is well but the doctor thinks that it is best that she remains in bed until the baby comes," Mary explained before continuing. "I thought that you were not to be home until this afternoon? That is what you wrote in your last letter to me."

"Yes, I was not to be here until later today but the ship came uncommonly fast upon hearing that we had brought with us a fugitive."

"Where is he?" Mary closed her book, this was much more interesting.

"He has been placed in the custody of Scotland Yard and is currently being held in the Tower, at the prince's wishes." He folded his letter and put his seal on it. Sir Bracknell stood up and sat across from Mary, staring at the letter in his hands.

"Are you well, Sir? You seem to be quite distracted this morning."

"I am just fatigued from travel that is all."

"Perhaps you should retire for a little while." Mary picked up her book again and continued reading.

"No, I am already awake." However, he stood up, put the letter in his coat pocket and left the room, leaving Mary by her self.


	15. Chapter 15

That afternoon, a letter came for Mary from Kate. It had initially gone to Gracechurch Street but her aunt sent it over to the Bracknell's directly.

_My Dear Mary,_

_I hope that this letter finds you well and that you are enjoying your time in London._

_The Colonel, Josie and I are going to be in London for Christmas and so Benjamin may receive his title. We will be staying in the townhouse on Belgrave Square and I take this opportunity to invite you to stay with us for a little while. The Darcys, Bingleys, Papa, Wickham and Georgiana will all also be coming to town for the holiday._

_We all wish to see you, Josie especially. A young officer has given her a toy piano forte and she sits for hours, playing like her 'Aunt May.' Josie is now walking with a little cane and her arm is out of the splint for good. She looks so funny, Mary, like a miniature old lady!_

_Wickham has come to see us and, despite our fears, he has not reverted to his vices. He has been promoted to captain and while he will have a much larger income, he is still unable to take Josie with him. He came by way of Pemberly and brought with him Papa's miniature of Lydia. Josie placed it next to her bed and kisses it good night before she goes to bed._

_Please write to me and tell me what you have been doing with your self._

_Love, your sister,_

_Kate Fitzwilliam_

Mary smiled. She had missed her sisters and nieces and looked forward to seeing them again. She quickly jotted off a note to Kate, promising to write more when she was able to later in the week. Removing her spectacles in her room, she decided to check on her friend,

Mary spent her day in Emily's bedchamber, reading to her and simply talking of names and common acquaintances and family members in hopes of finding a name that would be suitable for the baby.

"Mary, you have never told me of your family, other than that you are the third of five daughters. Please, tell me about your sisters."

As Mary opened her mouth to begin speaking, Sir Bracknell entered the room and sat in a chair near her. "Please, do not let my presence stop you, Miss Bennet."

She smiled at him and began. "Jane is the eldest. She is easily the prettiest of all of my sisters. She is all sweetness and goodness. We all knew early on that Jane would be beautiful but she is much more so than I would have thought possible. To this day, I have never met anyone as beautiful and good as Jane."

"What does she look like?" Emily asked as she began to drift off to sleep.

"She has long, blonde hair and fair skin. Her eyes are a pale gray, like clouds on a stormy day. She married Mr. Charles Bingley and is to have her first child in the spring. They just finished building their estate, Lockwood Manor, in Derbyshire." Mary did not intend to continue, as Emily appeared to be asleep but as soon as she stopped talking, Emily's eyes opened.

"Please, continue, Mary. You are giving me something else to focus on."

Mary cleared her throat and said, "Very well. Elizabeth is the next eldest. She is very pretty as well, but in a different way than Jane. I suppose the word to use would be exotic. She has dark hair and eyes, like me, but is much shorter than I am. I think that she is the smartest, with the most common sense. She is always reading anything she can get her hands on. Lizzy is married to Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberly, also in Derbyshire, and they have two daughters, Susannah and Sarah.

"Kate is younger than me. She takes after our mother, dark red hair and green eyes. She was called Kitty until last year." Mary paused, thoughtfully and looked at Emily who had fallen asleep and Sir Bracknell, who watched her contently. "Kate married Major General Fitzwilliam (but we still call him Colonel) and they live in Sussex. Her husband and Lizzy's husband are cousins and are guardians of Darcy's younger sister, Georgiana. Fitzwilliam was named his father's heir and is the new Earl of Matlock. Kate used to be very silly but since our mother's death, she has grown up in maturity and sense.

"Lydia was the youngest. She, like Lizzy and me, had dark eyes and hair but was the tallest of us all. Lydia was very, very silly. I know of no other word for it. Naïve perhaps would be appropriate but without the innocence that comes with naivety. She was married at sixteen to a young officer, Mr. Wickham, that she had intended to elope with but instead she lived with him in London for two weeks before Mr. Darcy found them and paid Wickham to marry her. She had a little girl several months later, named Josephine and a year or so later, she was with child again. Unfortunately, neither she nor her child survived the birth. Her daughter Josephine was placed in the care of Kate and the Colonel as Wickham was sent to Scotland with his regiment."

Mary looked at her friend, who was now in a deep slumber, and at her friend's brother who was still looking at her but he looked at her as if he wished to ask her something. He gestured towards the door, she nodded and they left the room together.

"Miss Bennet, I do not suppose that you have been given a proper tour of the house, have you?"

"No, Sir Bracknell, I have not had that pleasure."

"May I show you the house?"

"Yes, you may."

The tour began downstairs, through the rooms that Mary was familiar with first and they slowly made their way into ones that she had not been in before. A large sitting room was among these rooms. The walls had soft blue wallpaper hung on them and the simple, utilitarian furniture was no longer fashionable like everything else in the house and it seemed to Mary that this was not a room that was used frequently and no longer had a real purpose.

"This was my mother's parlor. She spent all her mornings here."

"Oh. It is a very pleasant room." It truly was. This was Mary's favorite room due to its elegant simplicity. "Why has it been kept the same?"

"My father can not bring himself to alter it." Sir Bracknell turned to leave the room but Mary went to a window that looked out onto a small garden next to it. She smiled. She knew why this was his mother's favorite room.

"Did you play out here as a child?" she asked.

"Yes. How did you know?" he said as he came to join her.

"My mother's favorite room was the one that looked out into the garden we played in as children. She could enjoy the silence but was still able to keep an eye on us."

Sir Bracknell cleared his throat. "Do you like this room?"

"Oh, yes, very much."

"My father and I plan to have it redecorated for Emily."

"Really?"

"Yes. We thought it would be a present she would greatly enjoy."

Mary turned to face Sir Bracknell. He was closer than she thought and she bumped into him and began to fall backwards until he caught her in his arms. For what felt like an eternity, he held her delicately, as if he thought she would break. Mary was frozen, her mind racing. She had never been so close to a man in her life. There was a strange intimacy between them, stranger than that that had grown in his absence to Ireland. Mary could not recollect ever feeling this with any other man. Sir Bracknell saw her happy expression change to one that he assumed was fear and standing up and placing her back on her feet, he let her go.

"Forgive me; I did not want you to fall."

"It is perfectly fine, Sir Bracknell. I am all right."

Sir Bracknell became awkward and began to back up towards the door and tripped over a low table, knocking it and him self down. He hit the ground rather hard and remained so still that Mary was sure that he had knocked himself out. She rushed to his side, knelt over him and started to shake him. Suddenly, Sir Bracknell burst out laughing.

"Well, Sir, I am glad that you are well, but I do not see what is so funny as to make you laugh so," Mary said archly, standing up and offering the fallen gentleman her hand to help him stand up.

"I am sorry; I just find it humorous when people fall, particularly when I fall." He accepted her hand and with her help, righted himself. After dusting himself off, they silently continued the tour and it was not until they were in the portrait gallery that he spoke again. "I could not help but notice, Miss Bennet, that when describing your sisters, you mentioned a Mr. Charles Bingley."

"Yes, he is my sister Jane's husband."

"Is he the brother of a Miss Caroline Bingley?" he tentatively asked as he looked at a portrait of his father.

"Yes, he is."

"Are you well acquainted with her?"

"Yes, I am." She paused, unsure of what he would ask next and before he could, she said, "Emily has already told me of your connection with the Bingleys."

"I see." He walked to the portrait she was studying, one of himself as a teenager. "Miss Bingley has written to me. She wishes to renew our engagement as the gentleman she sought is married to your other elder sister." He took the letter he had written previously out of his jacket and looked at it, thoughtfully. "I am not going to renew the engagement. I have no wish to meet with her ever again. I was greatly ill used by the lady and, to be frank, I do not trust her."

"I understand, Sir, I have always felt that she was a scheming woman. I never cared for her myself. Miss Bingley always seemed more fashion than sense to me." Sir Bracknell nodded, laughing heartily at this. Mary smiled, he had a very pleasant laugh and she wished to hear it more often. "Forgive me for speaking so openly."

"Oh, no, Miss Bennet. Thank you, I was thinking of rewriting my letter and changing my response but you have convinced me."

He concluded the tour just as the housekeeper, Mrs. Campbell, came around the corner, in search of them. "I beg your pardon, Sir, but dinner is going to be later than usual tonight."

"Why, Mrs. Campbell?" he asked as the three set off towards the main part of the house.

"His Highness will be joining the dining party tonight." Mrs. Campbell turned to go down a corridor they were passing but stopped suddenly and turned around. "Oh, Miss Bennet, Lady Emilia and Lord Bracknell have been asking for you. They are in her bedchamber at present."

"Thank you, Mrs. Campbell. I shall go to her directly."

With Sir Bracknell, Mary went to her friend, who was now awake, sitting up and talking with her father.

"Mary, Henry, I am glad that Mrs. Campbell has found you."

"Are you well, Emily?" she asked, crossing to the young lady.

"Oh, yes, I am well." Emily glanced at her father who then came to her side.

"Miss Bennet, Emily and I would like to ask you if you would be willing to stay with us until the baby comes." Lord Bracknell seemed nervous upon making his request and he reminded Mary her brothers-in-law before their weddings. "We hate to impose upon you, but you have become such a comfort to Emily in the past few months."

"Lord Bracknell, it would be a pleasure to stay here with your family."

It was soon decided that Mary would remain there until a month after the baby was born, around the time of the christening. Mary retired to her room to write to her aunt to inform her of the new situation and that she would visit often and that they were all welcome to visit her when ever they wished. She also added that she would come by the next day to gather her things.

Mary changed into a lovely but simple lilac gown for dinner and then went into Emily's room as she ate her dinner. The two young ladies talked and laughed for so long that it was not until Mrs. Campbell came in to retrieve Emily's tray that Mary realized that dinner was soon. She bade goodnight to her friend and went down stairs to join the rest of the family for dinner. Lord and Sir Bracknell were already in the hall when she reached them.

"Forgive me if I am late, I was with Emily."

Lord Bracknell smiled and said, "It is no worry, Miss Bennet, we are still waiting for His Highness to arrive."

The three talked for several minutes until the front door opened the Prince walked in. Unlike the first time that Mary had seen him, the Prince was unaccompanied. After greeting one another, the four went into the dining room to eat. They were all silent for several minutes before the Prince spoke.

"Where is Lady Emilia, this evening, Lord Bracknell? Is she well?"

"My daughter has been advised by our physician to remain in bed until her child is born."

"That is unfortunate, sir." He took a drink from his glass, to prepare himself and then said, "Mr. Foster has admitted to forcing him self on Lady Emilia. He will be charged for it. I have also arranged that should, God forbid it, Lady Emilia not survive the birth, he will be charged with murder."

Lord Bracknell set down his fork before speaking. "Your Highness, while I thank you for your involvement in our situation, I do not know how to react to this news. I am glad that he will be held accountable for his actions, but is it not slightly premature to plan on charging Mr. Foster with murder?"

"Lord Bracknell, it is only a precaution. In London, it seems that if a person is killed at the hands of someone else, the person at fault must be charged a month prior to the crime if they are to go to trial within the year of the act."

"I see." Lord Bracknell picked his fork up again but only picked at his food.

"Come now, sir, you must know that I do not think that your daughter will not survive. I simply wish for this man to have to face justice should she die. Should she die, she would not have had not he forced himself upon her."

Sir Bracknell changed the subject to the approaching holiday and asked Mary her plans and whether any of her family would be in town for it.

"Yes, Sir. In fact, all my sisters, brothers-in-law, my father and nieces will be in town for Christmas and for my brother-in-law, Major General Fitzwilliam, to receive his title."

"Major General Fitzwilliam?" asked the Prince. "Is he gentleman that is to be the Earl of Matlock?"

"Yes, Your Highness. He is the husband of my younger sister, Catherine."

"I will be performing the ceremony I believe, Miss Bennet, as my father has not been well lately."

"The usual ailment?" asked Lord Bracknell.

"Yes, and each time, he gets worse and worse. Parliament may declare me Regent again if he does not get well soon." The Prince noticed the puzzled look on Mary's face and explained, "Miss Bennet, my father, the King, is a very ill man and while we do not get on well and he does not wish me to be his heir, should his health continue to decline, I will be named Regent again."

"Oh, no, Your Highness. I understood that. What ailments does your father have?"

"I am afraid that I am not at liberty to discuss that as it is technically a matter of state." He paused and then said "May I ask who your other brothers-in-law are?" Mary named her relations to the Prince and after naming them all, he smiled. "I see that all your sisters have been fortunate to have married well."

"Yes, but not just financially."

"How so?"

"It is true that all my sisters, with exception of my youngest, Lydia, have been fortunate to have married men of consequence, they all, first and foremost, married for love, Your Highness."

"I hope that you are as fortunate, Miss Bennet," said the Prince.

"As do I, Your Highness, as do I."

Over the next few weeks as Christmas came near, Mary and Sir Bracknell became as good of friends as she and Emily had become. At first, Mary thought that he was only as attentive as he was because he did not want her to become lonely in his home, but soon she began to flatter herself and think that perhaps he was forming an attachment towards her as she already had. She constantly caught herself doing all the things that she hated women for doing. She woke half an hour earlier each day to dress with great care, she did not eat much while in his presence and she always felt herself blush when she saw him look at her for a few moments.

Two days before Christmas, Mary's family all came to town and that evening, the Darcys, the Bingleys and the Fitzwilliams and Mr. Bennet dined at the Bracknells. All four sisters were so pleased to see one another again that they accidentally dominated the dinner table conversation. Mr. Bennet was obviously happy to have his remaining daughters together again that he did not scold any of them for being so chatty. When the gentlemen rose to go to the library, Mary took her sisters upstairs to see Emily.

Emily was sitting up in bed, dressed but still following doctor's orders. She had been anxious to have new visitors, for while she and Mary still enjoyed one another's company a good deal, new persons to speak to were always welcome. Lizzy proved to be invaluable to Emily. They spent nearly an hour talking about the birthing process, something no one had fully explained to her before and she had never seen. They all liked Emily prodigiously and were glad that she had brought Mary out of her shell.

When the ladies went downstairs to join the gentlemen, Kate whispered to Jane, "Is this our Mary? She is funny and friendly. Where has she come from?"

"From our shadows, Kate. Mary is the middle daughter, remember. I had Lizzy, you had Lydia. Mary did not have someone and now she does. I am happy for her but I do not think that her new friend is all the reason for this change."

"What do you mean?" Kate asked but as the gentlemen appeared from the library, she understood when she saw Sir Bracknell walk right up to Mary and offer her his arm which she immediately took without embarrassment or apprehension. As Kate's own husband came to her side, she could barely take her eyes off Mary and the young man.

"Staring is rude, Kate," Benjamin said with a smile.

"It is just…Mary has changed so much."

"Yes, but it has not been to her detriment."

"What do you mean, sir?"

He smiled again and said nothing, leaving Kate greatly puzzled.


	16. Chapter 16

Christmas Eve came and Mary was obliged to spend it with her family at Mr. Darcy's townhouse and while she invited all the Bracknells to join her, Lord Bracknell thought it best to remain at home, with Emily, so Sir Bracknell accompanied her alone.

Mary dressed with particular care that evening, choosing a vibrant green velvet frock with navy satin details on the hem, bust and sleeves. While the dress would be considered simple by most women, for Mary, it was quite fancy enough for a family party. Her hair was simply done, as always, but her maid added a few holly berries to make her more seasonal in appearance.

She had realized the day before that she was falling in love with Sir Bracknell and when she confided in his sister, she learned that her friend welcomed a connection between them.

In the carriage ride, Sir Bracknell asked, "Are you pleased to see your family again, Miss Bennet?"

"Oh, yes. I did not realize how I missed them until I saw my sisters again."

"How many people will be making up our party tonight, do you think?"

"The Darcys, of course, that is four; the Bingleys, that is six; the Fitzwilliams and Josie, nine; Wickham, ten; Georgiana, eleven; Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and the children, seventeen; my Aunt and Uncle Philips, nineteen; my father makes twenty. Oh! And we make twenty-two."

"I did not realize that you have such a large family, Miss Bennet."

"My family was not so large before my sisters married."

"Why are not you married, Miss Bennet?" Mary looked at him, shocked at his imprudence. "Forgive me, I did not mean to offend you."

"No, it is all right, Sir." She paused, wondering how to phrase her feelings on this matter. "Do you remember the night that I told the Prince that my sisters married for love and just happened to love men of consequence?"

"Yes, I do."

Mary shifted in her seat, eager to arrive at the Darcys. "I want the same thing, Sir. I decided when my younger sister, Kate, married that I would only marry for love, even if I was to be destitute for the rest of my life. At least I would be happy. In fact, I was advised by a family friend not to marry a man if I did not love him a little bit prior."

"I see." He looked away from her. Mary thought how stupid she must have sounded to him.

"Perhaps it is a foolish ideal as I am not handsome and am getting older."

"No, Miss Bennet," he said, looking back at her.

"No, what?" she asked.

"No, it is not foolish, no, you are handsome and no, you are not old."

Mary blushed, thanked him from her heart and prayed that Sir Bracknell did not see her red cheeks in the dark carriage. They soon arrived at the Darcys'. As they entered the house, Mary was soon attacked with hugs from the Gardiner children and Josie. Lizzy came to her, carrying both of the twins in what looked like a rather precarious manner but seemed comfortable and at ease with such an arrangement, kissed her cheek and led them into the parlor, where the others were sitting.

Georgiana sat at the piano forte, playing carols. She smiled broadly upon seeing her old friend again but before she could cross to her, Margaret, the eldest Gardiner ran to the instrument and began singing along to the music for while she was a plain child, she had been blessed with a lovely voice a much older female.

Mary made her way around the room greeting her relationship with joy and introducing them to Sir Bracknell. When they came to Jane and Bingley, they both seemed rather apprehensive. Mary was not sure why they acted so. Bingley had known Sir Bracknell for years and they liked each other. After a few moments conversation, Jane asked to speak to her sisters privately.

"Mary, I only tell you this to protect your heart."

"My heart, Jane? What can you possibly mean?" she said innocently.

Jane cast a meaningful look toward Sir Bracknell. "You know what I mean, Mary. Just because we are not as close as I wish we were, you are my sisters and I can tell when your heart has been touched."

"Lord, how you talk! I might suppose that you think me in love!"

"That is beside the point, Mary." They heard the door bell ring and Jane hurriedly said, "Caroline Bingley is coming tonight. Charles has told me of his former connection to Sir Bracknell. Mrs. Hurst told me that Caroline wrote to Sir Bracknell an appeal to renew their engagement and that she was so disturbed by his refusal that she is out for vengeance. She has not seen her like this since Lizzy and Darcy married."

Before Mary could respond, the very person they were talking of entered the room with her sister and brother-in-law. Caroline Bingley, while she was a handsome woman, had an odd look to her. All her features were angular, including those which on most women were curvy. There was something strangely masculine about her that Mary did not like. She had accused Lizzy of being headstrong but no one would call her anything less than that.

While she thought her self to be a woman of taste, it was obvious to all the Bennet sisters that Caroline relied heavily on those around her to make her clothing decisions. Everything she owned was the height of fashion, from the peacock feathers that sprouted from the turban on her head to the gold baubles attached to the toes of her pointed slippers, but nothing suited her. Left to her own devices, she would probably own twenty of one dress. This evening, she wore a gown made of brilliant orange satin with a matching turban an slippers. The color did not suit her well, indeed it made her complexion look extraordinarily sallow.

Instead of making the usual circuit around the room, Caroline went directly to Sir Bracknell. She began to speak and Mary wished with all her heart to know what was being said between them. Charles soon joined his wife and sister-in-law, smiling but not relaxed. He confided in them that it was clear that Caroline would not give up as easily as she had with Darcy.

"That was giving up easy, Sir?" Mary asked with incredulity. They all knew that on the night before Mr. Darcy was to be married to Elizabeth, Caroline Bingley had snuck into his room wearing her undergarments and nothing else. Darcy, however, had chosen to remain in the library longer than he usually did and when he finally came to his room, he had found her fast asleep on his bed.

"Mary, do not fret. After what my sister did to him, I do not think that Sir Bracknell would take her back for a million pounds. If he did, I would not wish such a man to be my brother."

Bingley meant these words to be a comfort but Mary saw his sister and Sir Bracknell, laugh heartily together. Mary could have also sworn that she saw Miss Bingley shoot her a look that would have killed a much younger person. She felt tears begin to rise and as a servant passed, she took a cup of punch and downed it faster than was appropriate for a young lady such as herself. Her sister and brother-in-law looked at her in such shock that they did not see Caroline and Sir Bracknell leave the room together. But Mary saw it.

She chose to try to forget them this evening. Let them open old wounds, thought she as she resolved to play duets with Georgiana as Margaret sang. It was now that she had to opportunity to survey the goings on of the party. Darcy and Lizzy sat with the Gardiners, Mrs. Gardiner holding Sarah. Mrs. Philips held Susie and was with the Fitzwilliams. Josie sat in Wickhams lap as he read the other Gardiner children the Christmas story. The Bingleys stood by themselves, Jane looking lovelier than ever and Bingley, when he thought no one saw, continually put his hand on his wife's growing abdomen in protective way. Mr. Bennet sat to the side, talking with Mr. Philips and sipping brandy. Mr. Hurst was passed out in a chair and his wife was taking a turn about the room, hoping to hide her obvious shame of having such a man for a husband. It was nearly a half hour until former fiancés returned, arm in arm. Georgiana immediately stopped playing. She knew how Mary felt for Sir Bracknell, she was one of her few confidantes. Margaret looked at them, confused as to why they had stopped playing but when she saw the fearful look on the faces of the two ladies she elected not to say anything and went to her mother.

Sir Bracknell began to loudly cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention and when he had he announced, "I am pleased to say that Caroline and myself have decided to let bygones be bygones and are renewing our engagement."

Everyone applauded, although most did tentatively. Mary's sisters were aware of her feelings and her brothers-in-law knew the history between the newly engaged couple. Mary neither did nor said a thing. She did not cry or yell out or faint or leave the room. She was too shocked to do anything. She just sat next to Georgiana on the bench, staring at Sir Bracknell and his fiancé.

The housekeeper then came in to inform Mr. Darcy that dinner was served. The children were all sent up to bed. As Mrs. Gardiner kissed her children good night, she saw the look on her niece's face, one very similar to that which was on her face when she had learned of Mr. Foster. Mary did not move as Georgiana stood up for dinner nor did she when her father came to her. She simply sat as tears slowly made their way up into her eyes.


	17. Chapter 17

Once Mary had awoken from her trance, she knew that she could not remain for dinner nor continue to live in the Bracknells' house. She caught Lizzy before she entered the dining parlor, told her that she did not feel well and asked if she might be able to stay with her and return to Pemberly with them at the end of the season. Lizzy, feeling that Mary did not look at all well, consented and called for the carriage to take her sister home.

Mary could not get to the Bracknell's home fast enough. It was not late when she arrived so she went into Emily's room. She threw herself onto the bed, letting all her emotions spill out on to the bedclothes. She told her friend of Sir Bracknell's engagement, of how dearly she loved him and how she could not bear to stay another night in the same house with him. Her friend did her duty, comforted her in each way she could, appearing calm on the exterior, but within her blood boiled. How could her brother, the stupid man, not see how her friend loved him? She had known for weeks, without being told. How could he possibly think that he would be happy or even satisfied or content in the marriage state with Caroline Bingley? She remembered how he had confided in her how much he admired Miss Mary Bennet, how he enjoyed her company and opinions and how pretty she was early in the morning, when she did not try to be and how he was unsure if she returned his affections. Wisely, Emily chose not to tell her crying friend all this, it would only add to her ailments. Emily understood that Mary could not bear stay with her after tonight and the two friends fell asleep together, both unsure if they would ever meet again.

The next morning, Christmas Day, Mary woke early as she always did and went to her room to pack. She had informed Mrs. Campbell of her intentions to stay with relatives and after she had bathed and dressed in a simple white muslin frock, she began packing her belongings for the servants to carry down to the carriage. Her hair flew everywhere as she had refused to allow the maid to do it. She did not care about that anymore. It was as she finished packing her final trunk, that she heard a knock on the door. She turned around to see none other than Sir Bracknell standing there, looking quite perplexed at the state of disarray her room was in and by the luggage on the floor.

"Miss Bennet, are you leaving?" he stupidly asked.

"Yes, Sir, I am. I do not feel that your fiancé would much like the idea of an unmarried woman who is not a relation living in your house. I feel it is best."

"Why, Miss Bennet? Do not you know that Emily needs you?" he said drawing closer to her.

"Yes, I do know. But she understands that which you obviously do not, Sir." She pushed a curly lock of her dark hair out of her face and continued her activity. "I will not be persuaded. My mind has been made up." She closed the trunk and struggled to move the cumbersome object to the floor with her others. Succumbing to her mounting frustrations, she threw it to the floor, causing it to open and her clothing to fly out. "Are you blind, Sir Bracknell, or do you simply choose not to see my real reason for leaving?"

"No, I am sorry, Miss Bennet, I do not."

"I am leaving, Sir, because you are going to marry that evil woman who hates my family for no other reason that we married into hers and he who she desired only for his money." Sir Bracknell began to defend his fiancé, but Mary continued and would not be interrupted. "Caroline Bingley is a stuck-up, gossiping, mean, manipulative, power hungry, status climbing harpy that ought not to be recognized in polite society! She is incapable of love or any kind of tender affection for anyone, even her own family! Why are you going to marry her after all she did to you? After you confided in me that you would never even consider such an idea? Why are you content to be a second choice? How can you possibly think that you will be happy with her?" Mary began to cry and whispered, "Why can you not see that I love you?"

Sir Bracknell did not know how to respond to any of what the young lady that stood before him had said. He did not doubt that Caroline was all the things Miss Bennet said she was as he had heard his sister say all these things when his engagement had been broken. He wished to be married and while Caroline was not his first choice, with her it was only a matter of re-dating the old contracts and updating the old plans that had been made. He did not love her and she did not love him. But they had been friends in their youth and he thought that perhaps they may be content together.

But here stood Mary Bennet, red-faced, wild haired, tears streaming down her face but prettier that even in her anger and he felt his heart break that he was the cause of her pain. He had been falling in love with her and had intended on applying to her father last evening for her hand. But seeing Caroline again awakened such hopes he once held for her, and, in a moment of stupidity, he agreed to marry her.

"I am sorry, Miss Bennet, to have caused you pain. It was quite unintentional." She crouched to the floor to begin to repack her trunk, not looking at him. He knelt in front of her, unsure of what he should do. His emotions were growing and he stopped thinking of propriety and reached toward her. He cupped her chin and raised it so she looked him in the eye. Her tearstained faced told him everything he needed to know and he tenderly kissed her. He was not a man of words and he hoped that his action would convey everything he felt for this young lady. For a moment, he flattered himself that she returned his advances but Mary slapped him and silently returned to repacking here trunk. She did not look at him, she was crying harder than before. "Mary, I am in love with you." She did not respond so he said it again.

"I heard you. I heard you and I do not believe you." She pushed her trunk to the others, braided her hair, put on her Spencer and bonnet and started towards the door. "I wish you every health and happiness, Sir, however unlikely I think that is."

"Mary, please, it is Christmas, do not leave like this." He stood up and followed her down the hall.

She stopped and coldly looked at him and said, "It is Miss Bennet, Sir Bracknell." She went down the stairs and out the front door to wait in the carriage for the rest of her things.


	18. Chapter 18

Mary had told Emily to where she had gone and made her promise not to tell her brother. She did not wish to ever see him again. She had confided in the Darcys what had passed between her and Sir Bracknell and they all agreed that it was best for her not to be out in company and to only attend family gatherings if no part of the offending couple were in attendance. Even with these precautions, Mary seldom attended any parties.

Mary had hidden herself away for nearly three months and in these months, much had happened within her family. Most importantly to note however was something that arose with Georgiana and Mary, however separate the events were.

On New Year's Eve, Georgiana and Mary were together, playing duets on the instrument that was in the sitting room that they now shared. Mary was not cheerful yet, but Georgiana was oddly upbeat for someone that was normally so subdued.

It was while they were playing that the housekeeper came in with a letter that had just arrived from Georgiana. Mary saw the address on it and did not recognize that handwriting but it was obvious that her companion not only recognized but dreaded what was written with in. Mary asked who it was from but Georgiana said nothing.

Georgiana excused herself to her bedchamber and it was not until she was safely within her own room that she dared open the envelope in her hands. It was from Mr. Wickham. The letter was several pages long and had been dated several times, beginning the week before Lydia had died and ended with that morning. The part that most touched Georgiana was as follows:

_Since my daughter was born, I have attempted right all the wrongs I had done prior to her birth. At this point in time I have repaid all my debts, rebuilt my standing within my regiment, given up both drinking and gaming and apologized to Mr. Bennet for my actions that could have resulted in the ruin of his family. Actions towards you are among the last of my misgivings which I have been trying to correct to the best of my ability._

_I do not write to you in hopes that you will accept my apology but I must ask for forgiveness. I am sorry, Georgiana. And let me assure you that my object was not your fortune or yourself. I wished to avenge myself against your brother for other reason entirely, reasons that did not involve you. It pains me to say that I thought of you only as a pawn in my scheme. I am sorry that I abused your trust and affection and let my anger against your brother cloud my feelings toward you. I must be frank for while I did not love you, which I am aware that I led you to believe, I still felt affection for you from our childhood. _

_I am not expecting you to forgive me and I completely understand if you are unable to see me again. I only ask that you not ostracize Josie from your notice fore she has taken such a liking to you._

_Your Servant,_

_Captain George Wickham_

Georgiana knew not how to respond to such a letter. While she had been aware that Mr. Wickham had been trying to correct the errors from his previous life, she thought that he may never attempt to seek her forgiveness.

She immediately went to Mary, allowed her to read the letter and asked for her advice. Should she forgive Mr. Wickham?

"I think that you are able to say that you forgive him but I am unsure if you would mean it, Georgiana," Mary said after she had read the letter.

"What do you mean, Mary?"

"It is obvious that you did not grow up around those your own age." Georgiana looked at her, puzzled and Mary continued, "Just because someone apologizes does not mean that they mean what they say and just because an apology is accepted does not mean that it truly is. I do not doubt that Mr. Wickham is sincere, Josie has had such a profound positive effect upon him that I find it impossible for him to be insincere in this attempt, I doubt that you are capable of forgiving him or if you should at all."

"Why should I not? If I believe him to be sincere in his apology, should not I forgive him?"

"Yes, if you have forgiven yourself."

"Why should I forgive myself? I did nothing wrong. I only consented to the elopement because I thought myself to be in love and I soon realized that I was not."

"Yes, but have you forgiven yourself for being so easily persuaded?"

Georgiana paused in a pensive manner before saying, "No, I have not."

"Then you can not forgive him right now. Write back and tell him that while you do not doubt his sincerity, you can not forgive him until you can do the same for your self."

Georgiana also consulted her brother, who agreed with Mary and that evening, before members of their family arrived for the evening's festivities, she sat down and wrote her response to Mr. Wickham. She did not bother sending a servant to him with it, she would see him that evening and would deliver it herself.

Mary was not sure if she would attend the party that night but just when she should be getting ready if she were to attend, Lizzy came in with Georgiana, each carrying a large box.

"Mary, you can not sit in your room and sulk until we return to Pemberly," Lizzy said as she set her box down on Mary's bed.

"Yes, I can, Lizzy and it is precisely what I intend to do," she said as she picked up a book from a nearby shelf.

"Mary, Lord Bracknell and his son will be in attendance tonight," Lizzy said, taking the book from her sister.

"Why? Who invited them?" Mary asked, incredibly aware of the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes.

"Bingley asked if they might come as he has needed to speak with them," Lizzy informed her.

"Is Miss Bingley coming as well?"

"No, she was invited as a courtesy but opted to go to a party at St. James' with the Hursts." Lizzy began to undo the box she brought in and Georgiana did the same. "Since you are going to have to see Sir Bracknell, Georgiana and I thought that you should look as beautiful as possible." They removed the lids and revealed two exquisite gowns made of fine Indian silk. One was a lovely deep blue and had silver embroidery all over. Mary thought that it was pretty, but not appropriate for only a family party. The other was pure white, simply adorned and very similar to her plain muslin dresses she wore most days. The only decoration on it was thin dark blue ribbons that were on the neck line, sleeves and hem. A wider ribbon of the same blue was just under the bust.

Mary smiled and lifted the white dress from its box. Underneath the dress was a pair of blue slippers and little jeweled hair pieces. This was the perfect dress for her. Lizzy and Georgiana left her to dress and the maid soon came in to help with her hair. Mary decided that she would wear her hear down, with just the front parts pulled away from her face. It was highly unfashionable, possibly scandalous in large parties. But Mary knew that Sir Bracknell liked her hair when it simply done and she also knew that he would not be able to notice her that way. Elizabeth came back to check on her, dressed beautifully in a lovely golden cream.

"Mary, you look lovely."

"Thank you, Lizzy."

"It is time for us to go downstairs."

Mary nodded and as she rose from her dressing table, she asked, "Did anyone tell Sir Bracknell that I am here?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "He asked Darcy but was told that you had returned to Pemberly."

The sisters went into the hall, where Jane, Kate and Georgiana were waiting for them. Mary and her sisters had come to care so much for Georgiana and she fit so well between the four of them that as far as Mary was concerned, Georgiana had replaced Lydia in their affections. True, there was limited history and no childhood experiences together, but for three eldest Bennet sisters, this was no hurdle for them. While they had loved Lydia dearly as their sister, they doubted whether she would have been a friend had they not been relations. They went down the stairs together, Lizzy and Mary attending Jane for her balance was dreadful due to her condition. The Gardiners were entering the house as they descended the stairs and they all kissed their aunt and uncle and they went into the sitting room where the gentlemen were.

Sir Bracknell and his father were not there yet. Wickham was holding Josie, who was wearing a lovely little dress that had been a Christmas present from the Darcys. The Colonel stood near the fire with Darcy and Bingley, deep in conversation. Mr. Bennet was reading as always.

Mary went to the piano forte and began to play. Since leaving Longbourn, her playing had greatly improved. She had lost her pedantic air and instead of attempting complicated songs that she knew were beyond her ability, she choose simple but lovely ones that highlighted the moderate talent that she had. It was now clear when she played that while she was aware of her limited abilities, she played not for compliments but for love of music. She and Georgiana took turns playing, sometimes they attempted a duet but beyond carols, Mary's knowledge of duets was not nearly as vast as her partners.

It was nearly half an hour before Lord Bracknell and his son arrived. Mary was playing a delightful country tune that she had learned and perfected at an early age and knew still by heart. As the two men greeted their host and future relations, Mary pretended to read the music as she played even though it was not what she was playing. She refused to look their direction until they came to her and even then, she did not know what she should say. They thought her to be in Derbyshire, at Pemberly. But here she was, playing in her sister's sitting room and laughing with her friend as if nothing had happened.

But soon, they did come to her. Sir Bracknell seemed shocked to see her but his father did not and Mary gathered that Emily had told him to where she had really gone and why.

"Miss Bennet, it is so good to see you again," said the father, much more warmly than Mary had expected.

She stood up and curtseyed before saying, "And the same to you, sir. How is Emily?"

"She is as well as can be expected. She does miss you, Miss Bennet. Will not you consider coming back?" he entreated.

"While I do miss my friend, I can not, sir. I have family obligations that must be attended to. But I have assured your daughter that I will be there for the birth; all she must do is send word." She sat back down and continued playing. Lord Bracknell moved on but his son stayed near the instrument. She swallowed her pride and asked as calmly and uninterested as possible, "And how are you, Sir? How are the wedding plans?"

"Miss Bennet, this is foolishness. I know that you do not care how my wedding plans are."

"On the contrary. I wondered if you if Miss Bingley intended to where her trademark orange down the aisle or if she would choose something more traditional."

"Miss Bennet, please, do not do this."

"Sir, I only ask simple questions. You may choose not to answer them but I will still ask them. Does Miss Bingley plan to allow you out in company after the wedding?"

He sat next to her on the bench and whispered angrily, "You are being ridiculous."

"Really? I do not think so."

"Miss Bennet, I am sorry for what I said to you when last we met but I had to tell you before—"

"Before what? Before you are united in matrimony with one of the most awful women ever to breathe?"

"Mary, why are you acting like this?"

"Miss Bennet, if you please. Act like what? Offended that a friend would be so easily taken in by such a woman? Angry that the person that I love is marrying another? Irritated that the man that I love tells me he loves me but does not cancel his wedding plans? I act as one should act in such a situation, Sir." Through all this, Mary spoke so calm, so quietly, that no one in the room would have thought that she was in the middle of an argument.

"Mary, what do you want of me?"

"I do not know, Sir."

Sir Bracknell thought for a moment before saying, "If it is any consolation, Miss Bennet, I do not love her. I love you."

Mary stopped playing to turn to face him. "Why, yes, that is quite a consolation! I had at least thought that you were marrying out of some kind of regard but now I know that you only marry for money and position," she said rather sarcastically. She rose from her seat and went to sit with Kate and Jane. Surely, Sir Bracknell could not be so bold as to follow her. He did not. After taking a moment to regain his composure, he stood up and mingled about the room but never coming near her.

Georgiana took the now vacant seat at the piano forte and began to play a Mozart piece. Josie came running up to her from behind and lightly tugged on her sash.

"Miss Georgie, can I pway with you?" the little girl asked.

"Of course, do you know any songs, Josie?" she asked as she lifted the cherub on the bench next to her.

Josie smiled broadly and nodded. "Aunt Kate taught me one on my piano." She studied the keys of a moment, sometimes pressing one or another. She then found the key she was looking for and with one little hand, pressed the keys in a rhythmic manner and started to sweetly sing "Mary had a Little Lamb." The entire party fell silent and watched the child perform.

When she finished, they all applauded and Josie jumped out of her seat and ran to her father. Wickham picked her up easily, kissed her and placed her back down and she ran to her uncles. Georgiana resumed her playing and upon seeing Wickham come towards her, she stealthily removed the response to his letter from the sash about her waist. She placed it on the music stand as she turned the page.

"You're playing seems to continually improve, Miss Darcy," said he.

"I thank you, sir. I have been lucky to have studied with the best masters in London."

Wickham took a moment before asking, "Did you receive my letter, Miss Darcy?"

"Yes, I did." She continued to play with one hand as she took the letter and handed it to him. "My response is within. Pray, do not read it now. I do not have the disposition for confrontations."

"Of course, Miss Darcy."

Wickham walked away from her, to his brothers-in-law and daughter. The Colonel was holding Josie and she seemed to be quite attached to him and his wife after only a few months. Wickham felt his heart begin to break for while he knew that this arrangement was the best for Josie, he did not think that it was the best for him. He dearly missed his daughter when he was away and no number of letters from Mrs. Fitzwilliam or pictures of indeterminable objects from his daughter gave him the connection he longed for, so desperately. His daughter loved him, he knew that. But she was lost to him. Her parents were now the Fitzwilliams. In truth, he knew that Josie called her aunt 'Mama' half the time and while she was always corrected, it was to no avail. He had even once heard her call her uncle 'Papa'.

He was once again alone in the world.


	19. Chapter 19

With a heavy heart, Wickham began his journey back to Scotland early the next day. He had been staying with the Fitzwilliams and his ordinarily long and tearful farewell with Josie had suddenly altered into a tight hug, kiss on the cheek and an inquiry to her aunt if she could go back to bed. And so, in lower spirits, his hired coach started its way out of London and down the road to Scotland.

The road to Scotland was not a good one. In fact, George Wickham often wondered how he had ever thought that Lydia would have possibly been an amiable companion had she ever have made the journey. The road was pock-marked with potholes and mud holes. Sleeping would be a difficult task.

About two hours in to the journey, after many failed attempts to sleep, Wickham pulled the letter from Georgiana out of his pocket. It was not a long letter, he had not been expecting one of that kind, but the contents of it gave him hope that he may be able to better his recent acquaintanceship with her. He understood why she could not forgive him yet but he hoped that she would sooner rather than later. The rest of the day was spent trying to compose a response to Miss Darcy but the uneven turnpike made it impossible for his writing to be considered at all legible.

Halfway to Scotland, Wickham stopped to rest for the night at a respectable inn and changed coaches in the morning. This was the dangerous part of the journey. The northern road was even rougher than the southern and not a week went by with out some report of highwaymen and bandits having robbed someone or other that were making their way to Scotland.

It was around noon that the carriage came to a sudden stop, jostling Wickham out of the nap he had been taking. The curtains were drawn, not allowing him to see what was going on but he heard the driver and other men shouting and then, after a moment of clear silence, a shot rang out. The driver's shouts immediately ceased and the door to the carriage was thrown open.

"Get out here, you!" yelled the raggedly dressed bandit at Wickham. Wickham, doing as he was told, looked around for other and saw three other men, who were also dressed poorly in rags that were beginning to surround him. He looked towards the driver's seat, hoping that he might have some help in fending them off but all he saw was the man slumped back, head hanging loosely, blood pouring from his forehead onto the carriage and dripping onto the road. Wickham was a man with a good figure and was somewhat strong, but his mind was quicker than his fists and the fists of these men were faster than his mind. Sooner than he could think of what to do, the men, now joined by the first, began to beat Wickham and before he could even to consider fighting back, he was knocked unconscious.

It was a full week before any of George Wickham's family received any word of him. The Fitzwilliams had become concerned and the Colonel sent a letter to Wickham's commanding officer, a gentleman called Colonel Martin. He wrote back quite soon. His letter brought no good news.

Another officer had reported that he had come across an overturned, ransacked carriage on his way back to the encampment. The driver was nearby, dead in a ditch from a gunshot wound to the head. The officer had informed the proper authorities in the next village along the road. They had learned the name of the man that had hired the coach. It was George Wickham. Colonel Martin informed them that no one had found any sign of Mr. Wickham, he was presumed to be dead and that as soon as he learned anything else, he would write to them with the news.

The Fitzwilliams read the letter in silence, both unsure of what to say or do. They were sitting together in Kate's sitting room as Josie took her nap.

"What are we to do, Benjamin?"

"What we have been doing, my dear. We shall continue to care for our niece, treat her as our own until Wickham is found. And after that, we continue until he is able to care for her himself."

"I meant, how are we to tell Josie? She is so young. She will not understand that her father is missing or thought to be dead. I barely understand it. Wickham has traveled by that road many times, why has this happened now? Why has this happened at all? Wickham had finally mended his old ways and had become the good man he has always appeared to be."

Benjamin moved closer to his wife to comfort her. "Kate, before Wickham left we spoke privately."

"What about?"

"He wanted to speak about our situation with Josie. He was aware that she has begun to call you Mama and me Papa and while he was appreciative that we always corrected her, he told me to stop doing so. He requested that we raise her thinking that we are her parents, not merely her aunt and uncle. He felt that it would be the best thing for her well being as he was not sure if he would ever be in a stable enough position to care for her on his own fore he also stated his resolution to never marry again."

"Would Josie never know? How could such a secret be kept? Surely, at some point she would have to be told."

"He requested that we tell her when she is about sixteen, before she is out in society. But before that, he would be Uncle Wickham, husband of her late Aunt Lydia who died in childbirth. He felt that it would add stability to her upbringing."

Kate agreed but collapsed into her husband's arms and cried for half an hour. Wickham had come so far from the brash young man that eloped with her sister. He had transformed into a respectable, amiable gentleman, responsible and aware of his duties and their requirements. Why, after all that had he had done to correct his character, did this all happen now? No one would ever have the answer.


	20. Chapter 20

The extended Bennet clan lived rather peacefully in town for the next few months. Jane was due in just a few weeks, Lizzy took great pleasure in redecorating the Darcys' townhouse as the twins began to crawl and Kate and her husband legally adopted Josie. Wickham had not been found and the more time that past, the less likely it seemed.

In the first week of March, Emily was very near her time and after frequent letters attempting to persuade her friend, Mary returned to the Bracknells' home. She had hesitated because she was afraid that she would run into Sir Bracknell on a regular basis but once Emily had assured her that he was rarely home, that he was always out with his fiancé, Mary consented.

Upon her arrival, she went directly to Emily. She was sitting in her bed, much larger than she had been, looking quite joyous to see Mary again.

"Forgive me, I would stand to greet you, but standing has become quite difficult," Emily said with a smile. Mary went to her, kissed her cheek and the two young ladies spent the afternoon gossiping and laughing together.

"Have you chosen names, Emily?" Mary asked as she poured her a cup of tea.

"Yes. If it is a girl, I want to name her Alexandra, after my mother and if it is a boy, I want to call him Christopher after my father."

"Wonderful names, Emily." It was not until the evening came that Mary even thought of Sir Bracknell.

She left her friend to go to her room to dress for dinner and upon entering her room, she immediately knew what she would wear that evening. The Colonel had been given his title not long after Wickham's disappearance and they had now taken to calling him Earl in an effort to tease him. For the occasion, Mary had been given a beautiful satin sage green gown with lovely, sophisticated silver beading. She had wanted to wear it again and as it was not overly fancy, it would be appropriate for a simple dinner with the Bracknell's. A maid soon came in to help her dress and do her hair.

"If I may be so bold, Miss Bennet, I must say that I am glad you are come back."

"Thank you, Clarissa, I am glad to be back, I have missed my dear friend."

"Oh, it is not just that, Miss, I meant Sir Bracknell's betrothed. She has been walking up and down these halls ever since Christmas, muttering to herself about how she is going to change everything, from the curtains to the paintings to the help."

"Why? This house is beautiful as it is. Perhaps the furnishings are a little out of date, but it is to keep the late Lady Bracknell's memory within."

"You know that, Miss, and I know that, but Miss Bingley does not. She does not care about the prior mistress of this house and wants to remove every trace of her."

"That is terrible, Clarissa. Does Sir Bracknell know?"

"No, Miss. He has been so distracted since their engagement that I scarcely think he is the same person. He just sits in his mother's room, staring out in to the garden."

Mary sat pensively, thinking of what she had just learned. Miss Bingley was going to change every aspect of the house. She looked at the room she was in, simply, but elegantly decorated, obvious that the person who had chosen each item with love and care. She thought of her friend and her brother and their father. Their home would be destroyed by that awful woman. Their life taken from them if no one did anything to stop her. She understood why Clarissa did not do anything, she might be released from her post if she did. She had not choice, it would have to be her to take the chance.

She came down the stairs she had frequently descended just a few months before. Lord Bracknell stood where he always had.

"Miss Bennet, I am so pleased that you have returned."

"As am I, Lord Bracknell. I have missed Emily so."

"Yes, well, I rather thought that it was Henry that you missed."

Mary felt blush come to her cheeks. "I…um…I did enjoy Sir Bracknell's company."

"Miss Bennet, before my son joins us, I must be frank and tell you that I dearly hope that he will come to his senses and realize what he gave up to be with that woman."

Before Mary could respond, Sir Bracknell came running down the stairs and out the front door, completely ignoring her and his father. Lord Bracknell sighed and shook his head.

"Miss Bennet, I must apologize, I did not know that Miss Bingley would be dining with us this evening," Lord Bracknell said, sounding rather exasperated with his son.

"Miss Bingley?" Mary asked as Sir Bracknell and Miss Bingley came into the foyer.

"Miss Mary, I did not know that you would be here this evening," Miss Bingley said with cold civility. She was wearing an acid green frock with matching short cape, hat and parasol. As she watched the lady remove her cape and hat into the arms of an unsuspecting butler, Mary felt a pair of eyes rest upon her. "Shall we?"

The four retired to the dining room for a silent meal until Miss Bingley asked, "Miss Mary, how does your niece, Josephine? I understand that she has not been explained the circumstances of her father's disappearance."

Mary cleared her throat in indignation. "Miss Caroline, I believe that my sister, Jane, explained to you that Josephine is going to be raised to think that the Fitzwilliams are her parents. A two year old child can not be expected to grasp such ideas of disappearances and death."

"Perhaps. But do they expect that it will never be overheard by her later in life?"

"I believe that they trust that those of society have enough tact not to talk of it."

"Miss Bingley, have any more wedding plans been made?" Lord Bracknell asked, eager to change the subject.

"Yes, I have changed the bridesmaids' dresses from teal to burnt orange. After all, it is the color of this spring."

"Wonderful," said Sir Bracknell. He had not really been listening to Miss Bingley, he was far more entertained by how Miss Bennet's dress brought out the flecks of green in her eyes.

As dinner came to an end, Lord Bracknell, aware of the tension that existed between the two young ladies at his table, did not think it wise to leave the two by themselves so when he and his son would normally go and indulge themselves in their after-dinner brandies, he said, "I think, Henry, that I will not partake in our usual activity as I dearly wish to hear how Miss Bennet has improved in her playing since we last met."

"Oh, Lord Bracknell, I must assure you that I have not improved as much as I should have since Christmas," Mary said as they moved to the sitting room, accepting Lord Bracknell's arm when he offered it to her.

"Miss Mary, I must tell you how well you played at Christmas in comparison to the last time I heard you at the Netherfield Ball," Miss Bingley cattily said behind her. "Henry, you have no idea of how poorly Miss Mary played just a few years before."

"I am sure that Miss Bennet's passion for music made up for her ability at the time," Sir Bracknell responded to his fiancé in an apprehensive tone. He knew that Miss Bingley's compliments were never truly meant and always had some undertone of maliciousness and were attacks in disguise. As he sat on a settee next to her as Miss Bennet went to the piano forte, he recounted the many happy evenings he and the performer had shared together in this very room. He watched her, her slender fingers confidently moving across the ivory keys and her wavy, luscious, dark locks cascading around her shoulders and her back. He had learned from Miss Bingley that this was not the Mary Bennet she had originally met, that she had been dull, plain and overly pious and eager to display her talents. Having met her sisters thought had convinced him that she had simply felt over shadowed and being the last Miss Bennet had allowed her to spread her wings in a way that four sisters had unknowingly prevented.

'She is such a pretty girl,' Sir Bracknell thought to himself. 'No, she is more than a pretty girl. She is every lovely thing I have ever seen in anyone in one woman.'

Miss Bennet finished her song and Miss Bennet rose to exhibit as well. Mary seated herself a little ways away from the gentlemen, picked up a book on a nearby table and began to read. A maid came in with tea and Mary politely asked her to bring her her spectacles. Miss Bingley began to play a long and difficult song but without any of the passion that had accompanied Mary's performance.

Lord Bracknell sat next to his son and after a few moments of watching him watch the young lady who was not his betrothed, he asked in a low voice, "Does Miss Bennet know, Henry?"

"I beg your pardon, Father? What are you speaking of?" he said rather innocently.

"Does Miss Bennet know that you are in love with her?"

Sir Bracknell sighed, looked from one young lady to another, finally settling his gaze on Miss Bennet, who had just been given her spectacles. "I tried to tell her, Father. I did. But it was too late. I told her the day she left."

"Does she love you?"

"She did. I doubt she does now. I do not think I would be able to even consider winning her if I tried."

Suddenly, Lord Bracknell's tone changed to a very serious one. "Henry, do not marry for convenience. Miss Bingley is suitable, yes, but not for you. Miss Bennet suits you perfectly. I hope that you have the courage to see that before it is too late." He stood up and left the room to check on Emily.

Miss Bingley finished her song and she immediately entreated Mary to join her in a duet. Mary complied and once they had selected a song, Miss Bingley began to speak. "Miss Bennet, while I understand your reason for staying in this house, for Lady Emilia's comfort, I must let you know that I am not entirely comfortable with an unmarried woman who is not a relation living under the same roof as my intended."

"An unnecessary fear, Miss Bingley, I assure you. I have no interest in Sir Bracknell."

"I am sure," she said with doubt. "But that does not mean that he does not admire you. Tell me, Miss Bennet, how did your mother manage to teach you and your sisters to secure the affections of men so beyond your social status? I would have never thought that two Bennets would be rivals of mine."

"Miss Bingley, you were never a rival of Elizabeth's as Mr. Darcy never admired you as anything more than his friend's sister. The rivalry there was all in your head." They spoke in a low voice, playing together with neither missing a note.

"You said nothing of Sir Bracknell. Does that mean that you consider yourself to be a true rival, then?"

"I am only a rival if I seek the affection of Sir Bracknell."

Miss Bingley cleared her throat, having seen her fiancé look up upon hearing his name. "I was told that you had planned to remain in this house for a month after the child is born."

"Yes, Lady Emilia has requested it. I feel obligated and overjoyed to have accepted such an invitation. I feel quite comfortable in this home."

"How? It is so old-fashioned and sparse. Oh, forgive me, I forgot with whom I was speaking to."

"Miss Bingley, I think that the late Lady Bracknell decorated her home with more love and tenderness than you could ever possess for anyone or thing. This house has kept her memory alive for her husband and children. It would not be their home if it was at all altered."

"Oh, that is of no importance to me. Love and tenderness are paltry emotions. There is little truth in them."

"I pity you, then."

"Why?"

"Because the love of a mother is the purest kind. Not all mothers' love their children and I pity you that your mother did not have it for you."

"And your mother had love for you?"

"Despite my late mother's actions in public, she was an attentive matriarch and loved all my sisters and I as well as she possibly could. It was my mother, who when I was seven years old, that convinced my father to buy my instrument at Longbourn after seeing one at the Lucas'. No matter her behavior as I grew up, I shall always remember her love for all five of her daughters before I remember any embarrassing instances."

"Of which there are many."

"Miss Bingley, why did you renew your designs on Sir Bracknell after declaring them not worthy of a lady such as yourself just a few years before?" Through all of this, the ladies continued to play but at this impertinent question, Miss Bingley stopped playing with a decided bang on the keys.

"Miss Mary that is no concern of yours," she said resolutely.

"I understand, Miss Bingley. It must be hard for a young lady to grow near the age of nine and twenty."

On this, Miss Bingley stood up from the instrument and left the room. Mary began a new piece and smiled to her self.

"Is Miss Bingley all right, Miss Bennet?" Sir Bracknell asked. He knew that she was not; he had overheard everything but had chosen not to intervene. It had been quite educational.

"I do not know, Sir Bracknell. Perhaps she is merely taking another tour of the house to add to her plans to the renovations she plans to make."

"Renovations?" His eyes widened. If Caroline Bingley was allowed to decorate as she saw fit, the entire house would have fuchsia wallpaper and orange trim work.

"Yes, I seem to recollect hearing something about lemon yellow carpet in the hall upstairs."

Sir Bracknell realized that she was teasing him and sat himself next to her at the piano forte and began to play the accompaniment to the piece she played. "Miss Bennet, can not we be friends again?"

"I wish we could, Sir, but I can not have a friend that is so foolish."

"I am not foolish."

"Sir, Miss Bingley is not the sort of young lady that would make any man a proper wife. She only wants to marry because she is almost thirty years old."

Sir Bracknell looked at her, surprised. "She has insisted to me that she is four and twenty."

Mary could not help but laugh. "Four and twenty? Her brother, perhaps, but not her." After a moment, she asked what she had long been thinking. "Are you really going to marry her?"

Sir Bracknell paused before answering rather decidedly, "No. I am not."

"Why?"

"Because someone incredibly wise beyond their years once told me of their resolution to marry only for love and I have since learned that I am of the same mind."

Mary blushed and looked at her hands. Their playing went on in silence until they reached a point where they had to hit the same key. Upon their hands touching, the same strange feeling was felt by them both and they stopped playing and looked at one another. Their close seating meant that when facing each other, their eyes were barely six inches apart. Mary self-consciously licked her lips. Sir Bracknell slowly moved closer to her, tilting his head slightly to the left. She swallowed and started to close her eyes, tilting her head as well. Their lips were just millimeters apart when Lord Bracknell burst into the room.

"Miss Bennet, it is Emily's time!"


	21. Chapter 21

With merely a brief trip to her own room to change in to less valuable garments, Mary went straight to Emily's room. Lord Bracknell had sent for the midwife and for Mrs. Gardiner and Mary and Mrs. Campbell were also to attend to his daughter at this time of need. Mary did not know that he had also noted off a noted addressed to St. James Place and that the Prince was making his way there at that moment.

Mr. Foster, while had not been brought to trial as of yet, but in the preliminary hearing, he had plead guilty to all charges. He was being imprisoned under the watchful eye of the chief of Scotland Yard and scarcely was unwatched by him or some other guard. He had been told that if Lady Emilia died in childbirth or resulting from it, he would be charged with murder as well.

Mrs. Gardiner and the midwife arrived at the same time. Emily was quite scared, as all first mothers are, but her fear was well understood by all her companions. She was going to have to give birth, an action that had killed her mother, an action that produced her. Oddly enough, this was the midwife that had delivered both she and her brother.

Emily's brother and father sat together in the library. Miss Bingley had left the house quite willingly when she learned that a resident of Cheapside was going to be coming that evening. She bade farewell to Sir Bracknell, promising to come the next day to meet her future niece or nephew. Upon her quitting the house, Sir Bracknell thought of how happy he was to see her leave and knowing that Mary Bennet was just upstairs.

As Lord Bracknell poured himself and his son a rather large brandy each, Sir Bracknell tentatively said, "Do you like Miss Bennet, Father?"

"Yes, I must say that I do. Were I a few years younger or she a few years older, I might ask her to be your stepmother," he replied with a laugh. He turned and saw the seriousness in his son's eyes. He calmed his mirth and repeated, "Yes, I do. She has been invaluable to us over the past few months."

Sir Bracknell took a deep breath before saying, "Father, I can not marry Miss Bingley. I do not love her. I never have."

"Normally, I would scoff at you. Tell you that marriage is a matter of business, not pleasure. But as I find Miss Bingley a highly disagreeable wretch, I say cheers to that!" he toasted his son and downed his drink in a single gulp.

"I want to marry Miss Bennet, Father."

"I am glad that you have come to your sense, Henry."

"Come to my senses?"

"Yes. You have realized that you and Miss Bennet seem to have been designed for one another."

"I must see her at once." He rose to leave the room but stopped when h heard his father's voice.

"Henry, wait until the baby has come. Emily needs Miss Bennet more than you right know."

"How difficult is it to deliver a baby?"

Lord Bracknell shot a scathing look at his son, one that had not been used in nearly a decade. Sir Bracknell realized what he had said and before he could respond, his father rather flatly instructed him to go to Miss Bingley and break off the engagement. He followed his father's instruction, called for the carriage and headed off for the Hurst's townhouse, where Miss Bingley was living.

Sir Bracknell soon arrived at the Hurst's. He was quickly shown in to the drawing room where Miss Bingley sat with her sister and brother-in-law. Mr. Hurst was drinking straight from the decanter of port, oblivious to her wife who was sitting next to him, glaring with distain at him. Miss Bingley was at the piano forte, playing rather absentmindedly. When he was announced, Miss Bingley's eyes seemed to know why he was there.

"Sir Bracknell, has Lady Emilia's baby been born?" Mrs. Hurst politely inquired.

"No, Mrs. Hurst, I am afraid not. But I believe she has been doing well." They all remained in silence for a moment. "Miss Bingley, may I speak with you for a moment? Privately?"

Miss Bingley looked at him and nodded silently. They left the drawing room and went to the library.

"Miss Bingley, I have come here with the express purpose of—"

"Please, Sir Bracknell. Before you speak it, please consider you choice of the woman that you will be replacing me with. She has nothing. Fifty pounds a year now and only one hundred when her father dies. A family of sisters, most advantageously married, all of who have no talent and little but their beauty and charms to recommend them. Disastrous connections, an uncle in trade and another a simple country attorney. And her mother was—"

"Thank you, Miss Bingley. Thank you for your opinions of Miss Bennet. But I am resolved. She will not be replacing you in my affections as you never had them in the first place. You call her connections disastrous when one of them is your own brother, another a great landowner and another an Earl. The occupations of her uncles mean quite little to me. While I have only met the Philips once, I have found that the Gardiners are among the most courteous and gentile persons in my acquaintance. I choose her because she chose me, not my house or title or money. She wants me, Miss Bingley and I feel confident when I say that she would if I were nothing more than a penniless beggar on the street. I do not feel that you would have any affection for me if I were not the only son of a lord." He turned to take his leave.

"She is not half the woman I am!" Miss Bingley declared.

He stopped and turned to smile at her. "No. She is not." Miss Bingley grinned at this admission. "She is at least ten times the woman you are."

And with that, he quitted the house, climbed into his carriage and returned home where his father and the Prince were waiting for him in the library. Both held a large glass of what appeared to be stout.

"Has the baby come?" Sir Bracknell asked.

"Not yet. Have you spoken with Miss Bingley, Henry?" said Lord Bracknell.

"Yes. I have ended our engagement." He collapsed into a leather armchair and his father poured him a glass. "Why did no one tell me what a shrew that woman was?"

The Prince laughed heartily. "Yes, Miss Caroline Bingley is quite the shrew." He paused and began to laugh. "You know, my official wife is called Caroline. Perhaps all women called that are awful women." The three men laughed at the idea. After several hours, they began to doze off, first Lord Bracknell, then the Prince and finally, Sir Bracknell. The fire began to go out in the darkness.

Around four in the morning, Mary skipped down the stairs and waltzed her way into the library. She could not help but smile. When she saw the three noble gentlemen asleep in their chairs, she could not stifle a laugh. Sir Bracknell opened his eyes, taking a moment to adjust to the light pouring in from the door way. He looked toward the light and saw a very womanly silhouette and he was quite certain that it was Mary.

"Miss Bennet?" he said in a whisper. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes! Please, come with me." She left the room and Sir Bracknell slowly followed her stretching as he went. She was up the stairs and in Emily's room quite quickly. Before Sir Bracknell was even up the stairs, she was standing in the corridor holding a very precious parcel wrapped in a white blanket. When he saw her, she looked truly angelic, standing in her simple white muslin frock, the same frock she wore the day she had left, holding his niece or nephew.

"Sir Bracknell," she said as he strode toward her, "Emily has asked me to introduce you to Alexandra, your niece."

Sir Bracknell stood quite close to Mary to get a good look at his niece. Alexandra was bright pink with soft pale hair. She was already fast asleep in Mary's arms so her uncle was unable to tell the color of her eyes. She was a beautiful baby.

"Miss Bennet, how is my sister?"

"She is fine, quite exhausted, but fine." Mary smiled at the baby and then at him.

Sir Bracknell took a deep breath before saying, "Mary, I am not going to marry Miss Bingley."

"I know."

"How?" he stuttered.

"You father told us when you left for the Hursts."

"Did he say why?" He was growing more and more nervous.

"No."

"Miss Bennett, Mary, I—my feelings that I expressed on Christmas have not altered. In fact, they are stronger than ever." He felt himself blush as Mary looked up at him. Alexandra had grasped her forefinger.

"Sir Bracknell, my feelings are as they were. I loved you then and I love you now." Mary felt tears betray her and well up in her eyes. She cleared her throat, unsure of what to say.

"Miss Bennet, I can not be happy in this world with out you as my wife. Please, please make me the happiest of men. I have never met a woman like you, Mary. I can not imagine marrying any one but you and I know that I would not be at nearly as happy as I would if you were my wife." He stopped to breathe, embarrassed by his babbling.

Mary could not speak so she simply nodded her head as her tears fell down her cheeks. Sir Bracknell, or Henry as she would now call him, leaned in to her face, careful not to squash his niece and gently kissed her lips.

Had either had any doubt of their love for the other, their kiss rid them of it. Mary forgot all the pain and heartache she had felt and gave herself over to this new passion completely.

Passion. Mary had thought, after her argument with Mr. Foster, that she understood passion. Now she knew that she knew nothing of passion or love until this moment. She felt deliciously bare, standing in a corridor, at four in the morning, holding a newborn and kissing a handsome and loving young man. This is what passion was. This unbridled feeling that was stirred within her was both frightening and wonderful, unlike anything she had ever felt before.

And for the first time in Mary's life, she felt truly beautiful.


	22. Chapter 22

The Bracknells were overjoyed with the new impending nuptials as were the ever growing Bennet clan. The afternoon after Sir Bracknell proposed, he went to the Darcy's townhouse to ask for Mr. Bennet's blessing which was readily given. Mary's relatives rejoiced for not only the end of their fear that Mary would end her days as a spinster, forced to depend on one of them, but because she was going to be married so well, much better than any of her sisters, and it was quite obvious to all those who had the pleasure of seeing them together, that it was be a marriage strongly based on mutual respect and affection. They also were pleased to learn that Sir Henry Bracknell had an income of more than thirty thousand pounds a year and would inherit more after his father's death.

Not since the plague had hit London more than a hundred years before had anything spread around as quickly as the news of Sir Bracknell's broken engagement and new betrothal. The curiosity about Miss Mary Bennet was so high that the day after their official announcement, she received ten invitations to weekly receptions that most women in London tried years to obtain. But Mary wanted none of it. She was content to remain in Emily's room with her soon-to-be niece and husband.

As Mary Bennet came to be accepted by the elite of London society and the most desired dinner guest, Miss Caroline Bingley, however, disappeared from society and holed herself up in a relative's home in Shropshire for several weeks until Mr. Bingley announced that his sister had decided to give up her inheritance, devote the rest of her life to God, and had joined a convent in the north of France. Bingley also elaborated amongst his friends and family that the convent she was "joining" was an asylum as well and he was not sure if she went as a nun or patient.

Emily survived childbirth and was quite enjoying motherhood in spite of how unwelcome it had been initially and just a few weeks after Alexandra was born, Jane gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Joseph. Mary's eldest two sisters quickly became good friends with Emily and the four babies after a few months were forced friends as often children are. Alexandra had soft blonde hair and dark brown eyes. She was a fussy baby, always needing attention but after a few weeks her disposition altered to one much more subdued. Mr. Foster was convicted soon after Alexandra was born and sentenced to ten years hard labor.

Months came and went and it was not long before Mary and Bracknell, or Henry as she had begun to call him, were to be joined in matrimony. Mary had wanted to be married from Longbourn Church, where she had grown up and married by the vicar who had baptized her. Sir Bracknell readily agreed; he had wanted to see the village in which his dear Mary had grown up. It was also their plan to honeymoon in Kent, on the Bracknell's vast estate called Pembrooke, which, interestingly enough, was a mere five miles from Rosings Park.

And so, after more than a year, the Bennets returned to Longbourn.

The journey home took place one week prior to the ceremony. They arrived much more expediently than any of them had thought possible. The house looked just as they had left it. The servants remained behind, continuing the care of the property even better than before with out the family underfoot.

Mr. Bingley's lease of Netherfield had not ended so he and his family and the Bracknells were to stay there while the Darcys and Fitzwilliams and Mary were to abide at Longbourn for the week.

Mary had never thought that she would be one of those brides that obsessed over every bit of lace and trim and flower but as the preparations were being made and guest list grew (including the Regent!) and she flittered about the house choosing each scrap, her father remarked to her that she was remind him of his wife when her nerves bothering her (which had been quite often).

"Mary, of all my daughters, I had always thought that you were the most unlike your mother."

"What do you mean, Sir?" Mary said innocently as the dressmaker showed her lace for the bridesmaid dresses.

"You are holding smelling salts," he whispered as the woman left.

"It is for effect. Now she knows never to show me that awful lace again."

"Yes, quite. And where did you learn that trick?" He said as he raised an eyebrow, making Mary blush. "Careful, Mary. You shall find that as you age, you are more like you mother than you ever thought you were. I have at times caught myself holding my tea cup as my mother held hers. It is quite unseemly, I think, for a man to have his little finger in the air."

Lizzy and Kate were overjoyed to be back at Longbourn, back in their old beds, in their sitting room. They and their husbands intended to spend the entire summer there with the children and Mr. Bennet. The Bingleys and the Bracknells came everyday to Longbourn. Everyone seemed to love Longbourn. It was smaller than Netherfield, no doubt, but it was much more welcoming and cheerful than Bingley's house. At Longbourn, Josephine fluttered about the garden, her golden curls bouncing as the two year old entertaining her cousins. At Netherfield, she simply sat and stared at her surroundings, too afraid to move or touch anything.

On the eve before the wedding, Mr. Bingley held an engagement party in honor of the happy couple at Netherfield. The Prince was there, along with all of the Lucases, Charlotte Collins, Sir Bracknell's assorted relatives and the Philips. Mary, having never been thought of as the pretty sister, was not used to so many people complimenting her. She wore her turquoise dress and her hair was up in a loose tendrils. Even though she could not see it, this was the most beautiful any of her old friends had seen her.

At one point in the evening, Sir Henry Bracknell stood on the other side of the room with Darcy, Bingley and Fitzwilliam. The other men were talking to one another but Henry only watched his Mary laugh with her sisters, friends and Emily. She was standing with her back to him and she turned to look at another person when he caught her eye and she shyly smiled at him. Lizzy, Kate and Jane saw the moment between the two and smiled also, thrilled that their sister would know the happiness that they had within their marriages.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, but I see a young lady that I think should be dancing," Henry said as he quitted his future brothers-in-law to go to the side of his fiancé. "Miss Bennet, would you care to dance?" he asked when he arrived at her elbow and all the ladies surrounding her fell silent. Many looked from him to her with huge eyes, waiting for Mary's response, all thinking she would flatly refuse his request.

"I would be delighted, Sir Bracknell." She took his offered hand and as they joined the set, everyone in the room turned to look at the odd sight of Mary Bennet on the dance floor.

"Why is every guest staring at us, Mary?" Henry asked, unaccustomed to so much attention.

Mary giggled. "Because most of them have never seen me dance. I think that some thought it more likely that I would marry well than dance in public."

He smiled broadly at her, forehead to forehead as they turned around one another. They moved skillfully with each other, their bodies in sync. The guests around them remember the last dance at Netherfield, the night that Darcy and Lizzy had danced together. That pair was now standing together in a darkened corner, eager to return to Longbourn and their bed. Jane and Bingley were slowly trying to nudge their guests out the door. It was not late, only just eleven, but Mary did not want to stay any later than half past eleven to be sure that she did not see Henry on the wedding day.

Those staying at Longbourn were the first to leave, and Mary was so nervous about the next day that as soon as they were home she went straight to bed, not even letting Lizzy or Kate in her room to talk with her. She could not sleep though. Her mind raced with nagging thoughts and awful scenarios of what marriage might be like. When she finally did succumb to her slumber, she woke with a start. Her thoughts had drifted into her dreams. She lay in bed for a little while longer but, giving up, pulled on her dressing gown and went to the kitchen to make some tea for her self. As she passed the library, she saw through a crack in the door that a candle was lit within. Assuming that her father had simply forgotten to snuff it out, she opened the door with out knocking. There sat Mr. Bennet at his desk, pen in hand and a stack on letters in front of him.

"Oh, I am sorry, Father. I thought no one was here." She began to leave the room but Mr. Bennet called her back.

"Mary, you should be asleep. It is nearly three in the morning. Today is a busy day."

"I know, Father. I just could not sleep. My thoughts forbid it." She sat in an armchair across from him.

"Nervous, are you?" he dipped his pen in the ink. Mary nodded. "That is understandable. A young lady should be nervous when she is to be married. What are you nervous about?"

"Everything, Father. I am nervous about walking down the aisle at church, about traveling to Kent, about becoming a wife and, God willing, a mother. I am nervous that he will not see me as an equal or that the servants will doubt my ability to be the head of his household. I am nervous about what his friends will think of me. I am nervous that I will do something (what, I do not know) that will make him be ashamed of me. I am nervous that he will wake up one day and realize that he made a mistake."

Mr. Bennet sat back in his seat, watching Mary for a moment. Then he picked up the stack of letters in front of him and held them out to her. "Mary, I want you to read these. I have written one every day since your mother died." Mary's eyes widened in shock as she accepted the letters. "I know what you are thinking, but Mary, I loved Fanny. I love her still. I loved her even though she was embarrassing at times. But we were happy together in spite of everything. Go to bed Mary. Lizzy and Kate will be waking you in a few hours to dress."

Mary took the letters and, forgetting her tea, went straight to her room and began to read her father's words for her mother. And they gave her hope.

That's it for now! I can't believe that it is finally done! I am going to work on a sequel, suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I want to thank everyone who reviewed especially KoRnChildG, Mrs. Dom Masbolle, and kittenprophetess.


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